Dinner Interrupted
by Mulderette
Summary: Tony's life is endangered when he is caught up in a plan for revenge against Gibbs. Father/Son themes.
1. Chapter 1

The man sat silently, staring almost reverently at the silver framed photograph in front of him. A single tear trickled down his cheek, but he violently swiped it away with the back of his hand, his expression changing from one of sadness to extreme anger. He had shed a seemingly endless amount of tears for his daughter, but it was no longer a time for tears. It was now time for action. His finger lightly traced the smooth glass covering the laughing girl in the photograph. "He's going to pay for what he did to you, Lizzie...I promise you, Special Agent Gibbs is going to pay..."

*****

Jethro Gibbs stepped into dimly lit bullpen area. It was late and most of the desks were deserted including Ziva's and McGee's. Gibbs had sent them home about an hour earlier. He only hoped Dinozzo had finished his report so he could dismiss him as well. He turned towards the younger agent's desk and found Tony sleeping soundly, his head tilted back in an awkward-looking position. Gibbs opened his mouth to awaken his agent but then paused instead to study his sleeping form. Dinozzo had been working undercover for the past few days and he looked exhausted. His face was pale and the dark circles under his eyes provided evidence of the past few sleepless nights. Gibbs couldn't help but wonder when Dinozzo had last had a good meal.

"Dinozzo?" Gibbs called softly as he shook his agent's shoulder. "Come on, Tony, wake up."

"Hey boss." Tony was barely able to stifle a yawn as he opened his eyes. "What are you still doing here?"

"Waiting for your report, Dinozzo," Gibbs replied, a look of amusement in his eyes. "How's that coming by the way?"

"Finished." Tony indicated the neatly stacked papers on his desk.

"Good work, Tony." He wasn't really talking about the report, but rather the work Dinozzo had done over the past few days. It hadn't been a particularly easy case, but Dinozzo had worked hard and had succeeded in solving it. "Now come on. Get your jacket and let's go."

Tony stood up quickly, grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair. "Go? Uh, where are we going? We have another case?"

"No, we don't have another case, Dinozzo. You're coming over to my place for dinner."

"Yeah?" Tony couldn't help the feeling of relief that swept over him. As much as he didn't like to admit it, he had been run ragged over the past few days and was bone tired. A dinner with Gibbs was definitely more appealing than running off to start a new case would be. He needed the chance to recharge his batteries.

The two men left the building and headed to the parking area. "I'll see you soon, boss," Tony stated as he turned to head in the direction of his own car.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Gibbs asked.

Tony halted and turned his attention back towards Gibbs. "I was just going to get my car..." he trailed off uncertainly.

"Wrong."

"Wrong?" Tony echoed.

"I don't need my senior field agent getting into an accident because he's too tired to drive."

"Aww, I'm not too tired, I'm fine," Tony protested.

Gibbs slapped the back of Tony's head. His touch was lighter than usual but he still got his point across. "You're coming with me, Dinozzo." Gibbs' tone left no room for argument.

"Coming with you, boss." Tony nodded obediently as he fell in step with the older man. "So you driving me home after dinner?"

"Nope, you can just stay over," Gibbs replied.

"You mean we're having a sleepover?" Tony asked grinning at Gibbs.

Gibbs shot an exasperated look at the younger man. "Don't make me sorry I invited you."

"Okay, shutting up now."

Tony's self-imposed silence only lasted until they arrived at Gibbs' car and had seatbelted themselves inside the vehicle. "So what are we having for dinner?" Tony asked as Gibbs started the engine and pulled his car out of his parking space. "I'm starved."

"Yeah I kind of figured that was the case. When's the last time you've eaten?"

Tony pretended to ponder Gibbs' question before answering with a smirk. "Ummm... I've been eating...here and there...a little of this...a little of that..."

Gibbs rolled his eyes and the tone of his voice was much sharper than he meant it to be when he spoke. "Tony, how many times do I have to tell you...you can't just stop eating when you're on a case. You need to take better care of yourself."

"Oh come on...like eating is the first thing on your mind when you're on a big case?" Not really in the mood to argue over his eating habits, Tony slouched down in his seat and turned his attention to the passing scenery. He was beginning to wish he'd passed on Gibbs' dinner invite. "Anyhow, I had pizza last night," he muttered, .

Gibbs noted Tony's change in demeanor and decided to forgo his comments on the nutritional value of pizza. After all, his intent on inviting Tony to his house had not been to lecture him. "So I guess you won't be wanting pizza again tonight?" he asked as a faint smile touched his lips.

"Well, boss, you know I'm never one to turn down pizza, but somehow I don't really think you were planning on that." Tony realized that Gibbs had decided to drop the nagging, at least for now, and his features visibly relaxed.

"No, you've got that right...there's not going to be any pizza on the menu tonight. Hell, I might even try to get something in from all four food groups."

"You always do like to live dangerously." Tony chuckled softly as he settled back against his seat and allowed himself to drift off into a light slumber.

*****

Charles Bellingham sat in a white panel van across from Agent Gibbs' house, watching and waiting. The van had an electrician's logo on the side but so far he hadn't seemed to attract the slightest bit of notice from anyone. His men were already hidden on the grounds of Gibbs' house, waiting for the agent to arrive. Charles licked his lips in anticipation, hoping it wouldn't be much longer, He hoped and prayed that Gibbs hadn't been called out on some mission, He was tired of waiting and needed to carry out his plan of revenge once and for all. His eyes widened as he spotted an oncoming vehicle that appeared to be slowing. "Can it be?" he wondered out loud, his mouth curling into an evil smile as he watched the car begin to turn into Gibbs' driveway. He pulled out his cell phone and hit the speed dial button. The phone was answered instantly on the other end and Charles barked out his command. "Ready your positions...the target has arrived." He placed the phone down on the seat beside him and replaced it with a compact pistol which he cradled lovingly in his hand. Finally...it was time for the fun to begin...


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks so much for all the great reviews and for those who added this to your favorites and story alerts - I really appreciate it. In answer to a couple of questions, this is not based on any particular episode and the story will be non-slash.

*****

Gibbs pulled his car into the driveway and turned off the motor, glancing over at his passenger who immediately was jolted awake as soon as the car stopped. "We're here, Tony," he said needlessly.

"Yeah, guess we are." Tony nodded as he wearily rubbed his eyes then yawned. Damn, he felt like he could sleep for a week.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as he pulled the keys out of the ignition and moved to exit the car. Tony took a deep breath to summon up some energy and opened the passenger side door. Once they got outside, everything seemed to happen in an instant. Out of the corner of his eye, Gibbs saw what he assumed to be the flash of a gun. "Tony!" he shouted a warning and made a move to retrieve his gun.

Dinozzo's senses heightened as his adrenaline kicked in. He went into alert mode and tried to grab for his own weapon.

"Either of you moves, the other one's gonna get his brains splattered all over the driveway," came a gruff voice from the darkness, just prior to the emergence of three men dressed in camouflage fatigues. Each was armed with a semi-automatic weapon and they didn't look like anyone you would want to play around with. "Now throw your guns on the ground, nice and easy."

Gibbs measured the situation and quickly concluded that there was nothing he could do without endangering Dinozzo. Almost imperceptibly he shook his head at his agent before tossing his weapon to the ground. Tony shot an uneasy glance at Gibbs but also realized that taking action was futile. With frustration evident on his face, he dropped his gun down next to Gibbs'.

Just then, a white van pulled up in front of the driveway. It effectively blocked the drama taking place, at least partially, from anyone who might be passing by. Bellingham got out of the vehicle and briefly surveyed the scene in front of him before speaking angrily. "What the hell is the hold up?" he hissed. "Cuff them and let's get out of here."

"We just weren't sure..." one of the men began uncertainly. He was very tall, at least 6'4" and heavily musclebound. "You know...he wasn't alone and..."

"Well unless I'm mistaken, Sheldon, you do have more than one set of handcuffs."

"Sheldon?" Tony couldn't help laughing in spite of the dire situation they were faced with. This guy looked like a steroid freak. He sure as hell didn't look like any Sheldon he had ever seen. "Oh man...you've got to be kidding me, Sheldon..."

"Shut the fuck up." Sheldon approached Tony and sadistically yanked his arms behind his back then securely fastened the cuffs onto the young agent's wrists as one of the other men did the same to Gibbs.

"Did you search them?" Bellingham asked impatiently. This was taking too long. He thought they would have already been well on their way with Gibbs by now.

"Just about to do that," one of the men mumbled, seeming to cower slightly under Bellingham's glare.

Gibbs and Dinozzo were quickly but expertly patted down. Their wallets, cell phones, badges, watches, even their knives were found and taken. After the search, the two men were escorted to the back of the van and roughly shoved inside. Sheldon and the guy who had cuffed Gibbs followed right behind them. They were forced to sit down with their backs against the side of the van and the door was slammed shut enveloping the men in total darkness. Moments later the engine of the van roared to life and they began their journey into the unknown.

*****

Gibbs wasn't at all surprised when after a few minutes of riding in total silence Tony spoke up. He sighed softly to himself, mentally urging him to be careful and not to make the situation worse than it already was. His agent never seemed to be able to keep quiet for very long unless forced to do so or when he was asleep, although Gibbs had witnessed Dinozzo to have multiple episodes of talking in his sleep in the past. "So...anyone want to clue me in on what exactly is going on here?" Tony asked.

His question was met with silence which only served to egg him on further. "Boss, you have any idea what this is all about?"

"Shut up." Sheldon's voice snarled out of the darkness.

Tony ignored Sheldon and continued speaking. "Because if you do, I'd really like to not be the only one in the dark, though I guess literally speaking we're all kind of in the dark at the moment," he ended with a chuckle.

"Are you deaf or just stupid?" Sheldon felt his anger rising with every word Tony said. He really couldn't stand this guy and was wishing they had left him behind with his brains strewn all over the pavement. A flashlight beam was flashed brightly in Tony's face causing him to blink his eyes several times against the sudden, harsh light.

"Well..."

"Dinozzo..." Tony could read the underlying tone in Gibbs' voice perfectly. He knew he was skating on thin ice and Gibbs wanted him to stop. Tempted to keep up with his game of seeing just how far he could push Sheldon's buttons, Tony finally decided to heed Gibbs' unspoken warning, at least for now, and the agent fell silent once again.

*****

Grateful for the silence in the van, Gibbs' mind was going a mile a minute as he tried to figure out what options he and Dinozzo had. Unfortunately, right now they seemed to be very limited. He had no idea at all what any of this was about. He hadn't recognized any of the men who were holding them including the ringleader. All he knew was that whatever this was about, it had to do with him and Dinozzo had unfortunately been in the wrong place at the wrong time. He wished he had just sent Tony home to his pizza or burger or whatever junk food he had wanted to eat. He sure as hell would have been a lot better off than he was now. He was jarred from his thoughts as the van came to a halt followed about a minute later by the sound of the van door beginning to open. The face of the ringleader stared in at him, an eerie smile on his face. "End of the line, boys."

*****

Gibbs and Dinozzo were none too gently escorted out of the van and they found themselves in a large parking garage. It appeared to be mostly deserted though, with just a few stray cars scattered about here and there.

"Come on, let's get moving," Bellingham ordered as he started on ahead. One man flanked Dinozzo and Gibbs on either side while Sheldon brought up the rear, taking great pleasure in thrusting his gun into Dinozzo's back whenever he wasn't moving quickly enough to suit him.

"Will you cut the crap!" Dinozzo yelled after one particularly painful thrust. He turned to face Sheldon, his eyes flashing with anger.

Sheldon's face reddened with rage. How dare this punk keep openly defying him? Without thinking, he swung his gun cruelly against Dinozzo's forehead, sending the agent crashing unceremoniously into Gibbs. Impaired drastically by his cuffed hands, Gibbs was only barely able to keep his balance, but Tony dizzily fell to the ground.

"Leave him alone, Sheldon!" Bellingham bellowed. He didn't have the time or the patience for any of this. He had thought this man was a professional, but he was acting like a schoolyard bully. "Get him up and stick to the agenda."

Sheldon vehemently yanked Dinozzo to his feet and they continued on their way.

"Are you alright, Tony?" Gibbs whispered as he looked at his agent with concern evident in his eyes. Tony's forehead was bleeding freely and the young man looked a little bit dazed.

"Fine, boss." Tony answered automatically, just concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. "He'd been banged on the head plenty of times in the past. This time seemed no worse than any other time.

"Are you su…"

"Did I say you could talk, Agent Gibbs?" Bellingham turned around and Gibbs could see the pure hatred in his eyes. "Just shut the hell up and keep moving. I'm not going to tell you again…"

Gibbs stared at the man for a long moment, memorizing his facial features as best as he could before Bellingham turned away and started walking again. So far there was nothing at all that seemed even vaguely familiar to Gibbs about him. He really wished he had some idea of who he was so he would have some idea of how to address this situation.

The group of men reached an elevator, and were ushered inside, as Bellingham pressed the button for the basement level. Once the door opened, they proceeded along a dark corridor and walked some distance before they finally reached their destination. A solid metal door was opened and Gibbs and Dinozzo were shoved into the room behind it.

"Welcome to your new home, gentleman." Bellingham's laughter echoed loudly and the door was closed behind them with an ominous bang.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Thank you so much for all your nice reviews. I have tried to thank everyone individually and if I inadvertently missed anyone, I apologize. I had hoped to get this out sooner, but real life interferes sometimes. I know things are still a little bit slow going but it should start to heat up a bit in the next chapter. Enjoy J

*****

Tony and Gibbs stumbled into the room as the door slammed shut behind them.

"Well, this certainly isn't the Hilton," Tony commented as he took in their new accommodations. The room was small, about eight feet by eight feet, and pretty much bare, except for a thin, not particularly clean mattress lying alongside one of the walls and an empty bucket as well.

"You're right about that," Gibbs agreed as his attention focused upward. He noted a tiny surveillance camera in an upper corner of the room. "Smile, Dinozzo. You're on Candid Camera."

"That looks pretty high tech," Tony said as he shifted his gaze in the direction Gibbs was looking. He then sighed heavily. " So boss, any idea what this is all about?"

Gibbs hesitated then shook his head slowly. "I've been wracking my brain, trying to remember anything at all about these guys, but I'm not coming up with a thing. I don't think I've ever seen any of them before," he admitted, knowing that was not the answer his agent was hoping to hear.

"Well...that lead guy sure seems to know you," Tony commented. I'm sure you'll figure it out." He started fidgeting as much as he could within the limitations of the handcuffs, then tilted his head back as far as it could go and stared up at the ceiling.

"Dinozzo, what the heck are you doing?"

"Head's still bleeding," Tony stated. "Trying to keep the blood from running into my eye."

"Let me see," Gibbs demanded.

Reluctantly, Tony lowered his head and gazed back at his boss.

"Dammit, Dinozzo. Why have you been going out of your way to aggravate this Sheldon guy, anyhow?" Gibbs could understand losing one's temper. It had happened to him plenty of times in the past, but Dinozzo's mouth seemed to constantly get him into trouble.

"You saw him shoving me, boss. What was I supposed to do?"

"Haven't you ever heard of turning the other cheek? Wouldn't that have been better than getting your head slammed?"

"I'm used to that." Tony muttered under his breath,

"What was that?" Gibbs asked loudly, knowing full well what his agent had said.

"Nothing, boss." Tony cast an aggravated look at Gibbs. He was tired and hungry and Gibbs had been constantly picking on one thing or another since they had left NCIS headquarters. He was very quickly tiring of it. He mentally forced himself to keep quiet and not to make any of the comments that were on the tip of his tongue.

Gibbs could feel that his anger and frustration were beginning to spiral out of control and he took a deep breath to try to calm himself. None of this was Tony's fault. He needed to keep it together or he was going to make the situation even worse than it was. "It looks like you could use a few stitches," he commented quietly.

"Yeah, well somehow I don't think Ducky will be showing up for a house call any time soon." Exasperated, Tony walked over to one side of the room and, using the wall for support, slid down to a sitting position on the floor. One look at the yellowish stains covering the mattress had assured him that the floor was the better option. Once seated, he leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. His head was beginning to pound, the combination of hunger and the hit he had taken beginning to take their toll. He longed for a good, hot meal and then to fall asleep in the comfort of his own bed.

Gibbs silently observed his obviously weary agent, mentally cursing himself once again for inviting Dinozzo to his home that evening. He walked over to Tony and settled himself into a sitting position by his side. "Hey, you doing okay?" he asked, the concern he was feeling very evident in his voice.

"I'm fine." Tony's stomach rumbled loudly and he glanced over at Gibbs with a slight grin. "Except for being really hungry. So...what were we going to have for dinner, anyway?"

Gibbs sighed. "Doesn't really matter much right now, does it Dinozzo?"

"It was steak, wasn't it?" Tony persisted. Gibbs was a real master at making steak. His mouth was practically watering just at the thought of it. He knew they wouldn't be getting steak in this place, wherever they were…hell, he wondered if they would give them anything at all to eat or drink.

"Yeah, it was steak," Gibbs admitted. He, for one, didn't even want to think about it. As much as he had harassed Dinozzo earlier about his poor eating habits, truthfully, he hadn't been eating particularly well himself over the past few days. He had been too focused on Tony's undercover assignment to worry about eating properly.

"Rain check?"

Gibbs smiled faintly. "Count on it."

*****

Bellingham turned his attention away from the monitor with a feeling of satisfaction. It felt so good to finally have Gibbs under his control after all this time. Getting his young agent was an additional bonus he hadn't expected. It was going to enable him to change his plan to make Gibbs suffer even more. He picked up the syringe from the table in front of him and fingered it lovingly. Tomorrow morning, Gibbs would find out exactly who he was and would regret the day he had destroyed his family...

*****

Tim McGee scurried into the bullpen area and anxiously settled himself at his desk. He placed his cup of coffee down and turned his attention to Ziva after noting Gibbs' and Dinozzo's empty desks.

"Where's the boss?" he asked, his eyes darting around the room, expecting Gibbs to pop up out of nowhere like he so often did.

"You are late," Ziva stated, an amused smile on her face.

"I know that, Ziva," Tim replied as he took a sip of his coffee. "Traffic was all tied up. I couldn't help it."

"You should have left earlier. I was not late."

"Whatever, Ziva." Tim shot an annoyed look at his co-worker. "Anyhow, you didn't answer my question. Where's Gibbs?"

"Gibbs is not here yet."

"Really? What about Tony?"

"Also not here."

Tim grinned broadly as he drank some more coffee. Gibbs wasn't going to know he was late and he wasn't going to have to endure any of Dinozzo's insufferable comments either. Today must be his lucky day.

*****

Gibbs groaned softly as he gingerly moved his neck, the sore muscles rebelling against his actions. He hadn't really slept, had only managed some fitful periods of dozing. He had no idea what time it was. He assumed it was early morning but it was only a guess. The overhead light in the room had remained on so far which was a good thing, much better than remaining in constant darkness, in any case. Tony stirred beside him and opened his eyes, shifting a bleary gaze in Gibbs' direction. "Hey boss...did you get any sleep?"

"Not much," Gibbs replied. "How about you? How's your head?"

"No, I didn't really sleep either...feel stiff as a board." Tony's shoulders were aching and his wrists were raw and tender from the tightness of the cuffs around them, He hated sitting still for very long and being restrained this way was making him crazy.

"What about your head?" Gibbs asked, noting the younger man had chosen not to answer his question.

"Its okay, boss. You know I've got a hard head."

"That you do, Dinozzo...that you do." The two men shared faint smiles, offsetting a slight bit of the tension that was hanging over them.

"I sure do wish they would bring us something to eat or at least some water…something…" Tony trailed off. He had done nothing but go over the situation over and over in his mind between catnaps during the night. He had only succeeded in making himself even more on edge. He couldn't help but wonder if they were just going to be left here to slowly die of dehydration and starvation. The thought frightened him more than he would ever admit.

Gibbs could see that Dinozzo was rattled which was a side of him that was rare to see. "We're going to get out of this, Tony," he said softly.

"You don't know that, boss…You have no idea what this is about. We're helpless here…we're totally at their mercy, there's no way the team will even be able to track us…" He knew he was rambling, letting his fears get the best of him but he just couldn't seem to help himself.

"You're not giving up on us, are you, Dinozzo?" Gibbs asked in his best authoritative voice.

"No, boss…sorry, boss. I'm not giving up." Tony took a couple of deep breaths and managed to get himself back in control. Becoming unhinged wasn't going to help anything. "You're right…we'll get out of this somehow…"

"Oh I wouldn't be counting on that, Agent Dinozzo…" Charles Bellingham's voice echoed loudly as he opened the door and entered the room followed by a heavily armed Sheldon. "I wouldn't be counting on that at all…"


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Thank you all so much for the feedback and support. I am really new to this show and it means a lot that you are liking this story, especially since it has bee so long since I have written anything. Your comments are very motivating :)

*****

Tony and Gibbs both visibly tensed as Bellingham and Sheldon entered the room. Gibbs decided to speak up first before Dinozzo even had a chance to open his mouth. "I think its about time you told us who you are and what this is all about, don't you?" He made a concerted effort to keep his tone calm and cool.

"What? No good morning? How are you today? Wherever did you learn your manners, Agent Gibbs?" Bellingham smiled widely, obviously relishing the situation. He turned his attention towards Tony. "And what about you, Agent Dinozzo? I trust you're enjoying the accomodations?"

"Well, now that you mention it, the bed is kinda shabby and the room service is definitely lacking," Dinozzo replied. "You might want to think about updating or you're not going to be getting any customers."

Bellingham laughed. "Not to worry, Agent Dinozzo. We're not really concerned with getting any new occupants here. You and Agent Gibbs are our very special guests."

"Well gee, that just makes me feel all warm and cozy inside, but if we really are your so called 'guests,' we don't want to overstay our welcome. So how about you show us how to get out of here and we'll be on our way?"

"Oh don't be silly, we've hardly had a chance to get acquainted." Bellingham was finding the banter with the young agent to be quite enjoyable. It was almost a shame what was going to happen to him, but it had to be done.

"No? I thought you would have gotten up close and personal with that camera you've got up there," Dinozzo retorted.

Gibbs was quickly tiring of the conversation between whoever this guy was and his agent. It was getting nothing accomplished as far as useful information went. "Let's cut to the chase. Who the hell are you and what do you want with us?" Gibbs growled, his icy blue eyes blazing in a barely controlled rage.

"Temper, temper, Agent Gibbs. Haven't you ever heard the saying you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar?" Bellingham was still smiling which was further fueling Gibbs' irritation.

"Actually, there are theories that its actually the other way around, that vinegar catches more flies than honey." Tony contradicted.

"Really..." Bellingham pondered that for a few moments before the smile left his face. The fun and games were over. It was time to get serious and he turned his attention towards Gibbs. "In answer to your question, my name is Charles Bellingham," he began. He chuckled, noting the blank look on Gibbs' face. "I knew that wouldn't mean a thing to you. You have never met me, nor did you know my name. You did, however meet my daughter, though she wasn't alive at the time..."

Gibbs and Dinozzo exchanged troubled glances. This definitely was not good. "What was your daughter's name?" Gibbs asked softly.

"Elizabeth...Elizabeth Burgess. Her mother and I always called her Lizzie. She was a naval officer. She had an exemplary record...was married to a wonderful man, until she was raped and murdered almost five years ago. She had a whole lifetime ahead of her and it was snuffed out in the blink of an eye, in the most horrific way possible.

Recognition was slowly dawning in Gibbs' eyes as the memories returned. A serial killer who had targeted young and beautiful female naval officers. They had managed to catch the perpetrator relatively quickly, but not before the brutal deaths of three young women. "She was his final victim," Gibbs remembered.

"That's right, Gibbs." Bellingham's tone was bitter, his eyes filled with accusation. "You caught the bastard right after he murdered Lizzie...too little, too late..."

"Boss?" Tony questioned uncertainly. He had no recollection whatsoever of this case.

"You were on sick leave, Tony." Gibbs answered his agent's unsoken question. "It was when you were out with the pneumonic plaque. Kate and I handled the case". He deliberately left McGee's name out, not wanting to gve this guy yet another target to focus on.

"Yes...Caitlin Todd. I wanted to get her too." Bellingham said angrily. "Unfortunately, somene beat me to the punch. He did a good job though...I just wish he had left me the honors."

"Shut up. You shut up about her!" Tony shouted. He shuddered slightly as the day of Kate's shooting came flooding back into his mind. Even after all these years, he could recall every vivid detail of that horrific day on the rooftop, her blood splattered all over his face, the sightless expression in her eyes. It was a scene that he knew would be etched in his memory for the rest of his life.

"Tony..." Gibbs cautioned softly. He'd been there too and had a good idea of the memories assaulting his young agent, but now was not the time to dwell on them. They needed to keep themselves together.

"It seems I've struck a nerve," Bellingham observed.

"Look...why don't you just let us go?" Tony stared at Bellingham, his eyes pleading. "What happened to your daughter was a terrible, terrible thing. But you're blaming

the wrong people. The guy who killed her is to blame, certainly not Gibbs or Kate. They would have done everything humanly possible to get the guy who killed those women."

"You weren't there," Bellingham stated.

"I know Gibbs," Tony said. "He would never..."

"Look, I understand you have a beef with me." Gibbs interrupted, breaking back into the conversation. "But you said it yourself, Tony wasn't there. He had the plaque. He was really, really sick. He almost died for God's sake. He had nothing to do with this. He doesn't deserve this." Gibbs was trying to appeal to Bellingham's emotions, praying that the guy had some humanity in him. If he couldn't get out of this mess maybe he could get Tony out at least.

"That's true..." Bellingam looked thoughtful, at least appearing to consider that.

Gibbs hoped he was beginning to get Bellingham to really think about what he was doing. "I'm sure your daughter wouldn't want this. surely your wife doesn't approve..."

At that, Bellingham's expression darkened considerably. "My wife? She's not in any condition to approve or disapprove. My wife is dead, Agent Gibbs...she is DEAD," he hissed. "She died two years ago from an overdose of medication. They say it was accidental, but I know better. She just couldn't live with what had happened to Lizzie...she couldn't take the pain any longer."

"I'm sorry about your wife," Gibbs began.

"Shut up about my wife!" Bellingham had had just about enough. He didn't want false sympathy from the man who had destroyed his family. He needed to move things along. "Now, I know both of you are, or should I say used to be, Federal agents, but neither of you has even asked about my occupation," Bellingham said. "I'm sure you've heard of Bellingham Pharmaceutucals. My father was the founder of the company and I am the current CEO. I've had some of my scientists cook up some special little treats. He nodded towards Tony. "Get him on his feet, Sheldon." Sheldon, a sneer on his lips, approached Dinozzo and yanked him harshly up into a standing position. All three men watched as Bellingham reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vinyl case. He unzippered the case and pulled out a fluid-filled syringe.

Tony's eyes widened in fear and his heart started beating rapidly, Somehow, he knew this wasn't going to be an injection of truth serum.

"Leave him alone!" Gibbs tone was sharp, almost desperate, as he struggled to his feet. "Look. its me you want, not him. You weren't even expecting him to be there last night, were you?"

"No, I wasn't expecting him. It just turned out to be an added bonus," Bellingham admitted. "Almost like it was just meant to be."

"Listen, I know you want revenge against me, but this isn't the way to do it," Gibbs said. "He has a father. Do you really want to put another father through the same kind of pain you and your wife went through?" He was grasping at straws, trying to hit on something to focus Bellingham's attention from Tony onto himself.

"Ah yes...Anthony Dinozzo, Sr...I read about him on the Internet. I understand he's quite a wealthy guy. If I needed the money, I could have ransomed you off...unfortunately for you though...I don't need the money...

Tony didn't bother to correct Bellingham's assumptions about his father's wealth or rather his current lack of wealth. He was mesmorized by the syringe and was unable to take his eyes off it.

"Well...enough chatter...I don't suppose we need to prolong the inevitable. Hold him still, Sheldon," Bellingham ordered as he approached them. Tony struggled to get away but Sheldon's grasp was ironclad and he was unable to move. In the meantime, two more armed men had entered the room with their guns trained on Gibbs, who really couldn't have managed to do anything while in handcuffs anyway. "This will only hurt for a moment, young man." Without further fanfare, Bellingham pushed up the sleeves of Tony's jacket and shirt and injected the contents of the syringe into his arm.

Tony winced slightly as the needle penetrated his skin and he felt a rush of burning pain as the liquid entered his bloodstream. He staggered slightly as Sheldon suddenly released him.

"Now to prove I'm not entirely heartless, I'm going to uncuff you," Bellingham said as he fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a key. "Any funny business at all though, you'll both be cuffed for the duration of your stay. He approached Gibbs first and unlocked the cuffs while Gibbs silently stood and stared with an unreadable expression in his eyes. He then uncuffed Tony. "I'm very sorry, young man," he said as he gently patted Tony's shoulder. "Unfortunately, there are always innocent victims in any war..." He then turned and rapidly walked out of the room followed by his three men. The door closed behind them and Tony and Gibbs were left alone.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Just want to give a heartfelt thank you to all of you who have been reviewing. I can't tell you how much it means to me and I hope you continue to like the story :)

*****

Gibbs remained standing for a long moment after the door had closed. He was shaken to the core by what had just transpired. He couldn't even believe it had happened. After a very long couple of minutes, he managed to force his limbs to move. He made his way over to his agent's side and put his arm around his shoulders. The younger man looked shell-shocked and was unresponsive to Gibbs' touch. "Tony? Come on, Tony, Come over here and sit down." Gibbs voice was as gentle as if he was talking to a child as he led his agent over to the side of the wall they had been sitting at earlier. Tony obediently followed his boss and sank down to the floor as Gibbs followed suit.

Gibbs was at a loss as to what to say. He stared at Dinozzo, willing him to say something...anything at all, but the young man remained eerily silent. "I...I'm really sorry about this, Dinozzo...I..." He trailed off, unable to continue. Anything he could say would only sound trivial...empty words...useless...he was useless. He'd stood there and had been unable to do a thing as that freak injected, God only knew what, into Tony's body.

"Don't..." Dinozzo's voice was barely a whisper, so soft that Gibbs almost didn't even hear him speak.

"Don't? Don't what, Dinozzo?"

"Apologize...d...don't apologize, boss..."

"I don't know, Tony...I'd say I definitely owe you one this time. Anyhow...apologies are okay between friends."

"I just...you never apologize to me, boss..." Tony slowly pulled his knees up to his chest. "If you apologize, it means it isn't going to be okay.. so just don't do it, okay?"

"Okay, okay...I won't..."

Tony could feel his whole body trembling, He didn't think he had ever felt such pure unadulterated fear before. He wasn't at all sure how to cope with this. He had no idea how long he had to live...seconds, minutes, hours, days...the not knowing when or how the drug would affect him was just as frightening as the fear of death itself. He wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his face, partly to try to comfort himself and partly to hide the tears which were welling in his eyes beyond his control. "I wish we could get to Ducky and Abby," he said with a hitch in his voice. He knew they would move heaven and earth to try to save him, but he doubted they would ever get the chance to do so.

*****

Abby frowned as her umpteenth call to Gibbs went unanswered. This was so unlike him, especially when she had answers on some key evidence, information needed to tie up the loose ends on Tony's undercover case. Tony wasn't answering his calls either, but he had looked so wiped out last night that it was possible Gibbs had given him the day off. Frustrated, Abby decided to call McGee. "McGee!" she shrieked when he answered the phone. "Where's Gibbs?"

"Don't know. He and Tony aren't here yet." McGee replied.

"And you don't think that's strange?" she asked as she took a big gulp of her Caf Pow. "What's wrong with you, Tim? You know Gibbs is never late and he definitely wouldn't be this late without letting you know."

"Yeah...yeah, you're right," Tim replied slowly as the reality of the situation finally began to hit home. He'd been too happy about his own lateness being undiscovered that he hadn't even considered Gibbs and Dinozzo could possibly be in trouble. "Ziva and I will get right on it. I'll let you know what we find out."

"You find them, Timmy," Abby pleaded. She knew she could be totally overreacting but she had a really bad feeling about this. "Find them and bring them back safely."

*****

Sheldon followed along behind Bellingam, but his mind was definitely not on his boss or following his orders. He had been frankly bored when Bellingam ranted about the loss of his daughter and wife. He could see how that would be upsetting, but he really didn't get how it was Gibbs' fault. A job was a job though and he went where the money was. That Dinozzo guy had been annoying the crap out of him, but then Bellingham had started talking about his rich daddy and his irritation had changed to fascination. Bellingham might not need the money, but he sure as hell did. Maybe he ought to think about getting in touch with Mr. Anthony Dinozzo, Sr.

*****

Tony had gradually drifted off to sleep. When he had first done so, Gibbs had just about had heart failure, fearing the young man had died, but the steady rise and fall of his chest had reassured him. Tony's breathing remained quiet and even and he didn't appear to be in any distress. Every so often, Gibbs would lightly feel Tony's forehead, but so far it remained cool with no evidence of fever. "I know you don't want me to apologize, Dinozzo," Gibbs whispered, "But, I can't help feeling responsible for getting you into this mess. It should have been me who got that injection, not you." The fact that he, himself, was just as much a victim as Dinozzo did nothing to assuage his feelings of guilt. Tony was his agent, a valued member of his team, and it was up to Gibbs to protect him. He had miserably failed in that regard.

Eventually, Gibbs nodded off. After only about 15 minutes or so, he awoke with a start, cursing himself for falling asleep when he needed to be watching over Dinozzo. He turned his eyes toward his agent and was unnerved to see him sitting, backed up against the wall as far as he could go, with a look of pure terror on his face. He approached Tony cautiously. "Dinozzo? Tony, what's wrong?" he asked softly, as he lightly grasped his shoulder. For the most part, Dinozzo always appeared fearless, displaying a cocky bravado. To see him like this was more than a little bit unsettling. "Are you in pain?"

Dinozzo shook his head. "Get...get it away from me, boss...shoot it, kill it...please boss.." His breathing quickened and became erratic as his gaze was fixed on the biggest, ugliest spider he had ever seen, except maybe in a horor movie. It was very large, over a foot long, brown and covered in fine hair and it was slowly creeping towards him. Tony tried to back away further, but was impeded by the wall. "Boss...please do something," he begged with a tremor in his voice.

Gibbs stared at the blank wall Tony was fixated on and could only imagine what Tony was seeing to terrify him this way. "Tony...Dinozzo, look at me," Gibbs demanded sharply. "Come on, Dinozzo...that's an order. Look at me!"

Tony shifted his eyes towards his boss, but his distress only increased as he did so. "God, there's another one, boss. It's coming up behind you. You need to do something."

"Dinozzo": Gibbs gently seized the younger man's chin and turned his head so their eyes met. "Tony, there's nothing there."

"Yes, there is...yes there is," he insisted. "They're right there. I can see them, plain as day."

"Its the drug, Tony. Its messing with your mind," Gibbs explained patiently, trying to get his agent back in reality. "You're just hallucinating...I promise you, there's nothing there."

"Its not the drug...its not..."

Gibbs could feel his heart wrench at the panic-stricken look on Tony's face. He wanted to rip Bellingham from limb-to-limb over what he had done to him. "Listen, Tony,,," you trust me, don't you?" he asked coaxingly.

Tony nibbled on his lip for a moment before nodding hesitantly. "Yeah...yeah, you know I trust you, boss," he murmured.

"Okay then...I want you to close your eyes."

Tony shook his head frantically. "No."

"Come on, Tony...It'll be alright. I promise."

Tony looked back at Gibbs, doubt written all over his face.

"Its okay," Gibbs soothed. He gently placed his hand on Tony's forehead and moved it slowly down over Tony's eyes. "Just close your eyes and rest, Tony." Overwrought from all he was going through and with a last look at the spiders that were terrorizing him so badly, Tony allowed his eyes to close. It only took a few minutes for the exhaustion to catch up with him and he was once again asleep.

*****

"Gibbs' car is here," Tim commented as Ziva pulled up in front of his house. The two agents got out of the car and approached the vehicle, keeping their eyes open for anything that appeared amiss. McGee tried the driver's side door of the car and found it locked as Ziva did the same with the passenger side door. They then peered into the windows but nothing looked suspicious.

"Come on, let's check out the house," Ziva said. They walked towards the house and made their way to the front door. "Are we going to break in?" McGee asked. He knew they had to get in there but somehow the idea of breaking into Gibbs' home seemed wrong to him. Just then, his cell phone rang and Abby's name flashed onto the caller ID. "Hey Abby, what's up?"

"Tim, Tony's car is still here in the garage," Abby replied. "He must have left with Gibbs last night."

"We're at Gibbs' house now. His car is here. We're about to go into the house."

"Okay. Keep me posted."

Tim clicked off with Abby and turned his attention to Ziva who, it turned out, had just picked the lock to Gibbs' front door. "Come on, McGee...let's go in." Weapons drawn, the two entered the house. A thorough search turned up empty-handed and the two headed back outside.

"Why don't we canvas the neighborhood," McGeee suggested. "Maybe someone saw something that can help,"

Ziva nodded and the two set out to try to find some clue to Giibbs' and Dnozzzo's whereabouts.

*****

Tony slept for a little over an hour before he began to stir and opened his eyes. It took him a few moments to get his bearings but then he remembered everything that had happened.

"Hey Dinozzo, how are you doing?" Gibbs studied his agent closely. He was very pale and the dark circles under his eyes were becoming more pronounced. He just looked generally unwell.

"I'm doing okay....just really thirsty," Tony replied. His lips were bone dry and his throat parched. He'd give just about anything for an ice cold glass of water. "Guess Bellingham won't be giving us anything to drink..."

Gibbs shrugged. "I'll try to get him to give us some next time he comes in here."

Tony sighed, "Doesn't really matter...he'd probably just drug it anyway."

Do you remember what happened?"

"Yeah...kinda hard to forget.. Saw some really butt ugly, big ass spiders." He shuddered involuntarily. "God, boss...they were so real..."

"I'm sure they were." Gibbs reached over and felt Tony's forehead once again then frowned. "You feel a little warm."

Irritated, Tony shoved Gibbs' hand away from him. "Leave me alone. I'm fine."

Gibbs just stared back at Tony, but didn't say a word.

"What?" Tony asked defiantly. "Aren't you going to headslap me? You know you want to."

Gibbs sighed. "I'm not going to hit you, Dinozzo."

"Why not?" Tony challenged. He knew he was behaving unreasonably but he couldn't seem to stop himself. His emotions were all over the place. "Because you think I'm sick? Because you think I'm going to die?"

Gibbs shook his head. This whole situation was really getting to him. He wanted to kick and scream and pound Bellingham into oblivion. But instead, he had to sit in this damn room and try to keep his wits about him, pretending that everything was going to be alright, when he and Dinozzo both knew it was anything but alright. "I don't think you're going to die, Dinozzo." He stared back at the young man meaningfully then very lightly tapped his head. "You are not going to die."


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Once again, thanks so much to those of you who have left reviews. Your comments are very encouraging and definitely help keep me motivated. Also, there is a nightmare scene in this chapter that could possibly be considered disturbing to some readers. I think its just kind of warped but wanted to give fair warning just in case :)

Thanks for reading!

_*****_

_Tony walked into the formal dining room and looked in wonder at the countless candles which bathed the room in a shimmering glow. Unsure of what this place was or why he was here, he breathed a sigh of relief as he recognized Gibbs and his team seated at the rear end of the table. _

_"Hey guys," Tony greeted. He took the empty chair next to Gibbs who proceeded to give him an icy glare. "What'd I do now, boss?" Tony cast a confused look at Gibbs. "Am I late or something?" His only answer was dead silence._

_"What's wrong?" Tony started to feel a little bit anxious. "Abbs?" Surely she wouldn't ignore him, would she? Yes, apparently she would. She didn't even give him the faintest hint of a smile, refusing to meet his eyes or even acknowledge his presence._

_"Ducky? McGee?" He suddenly realized that Ziva was not in attendance and from what he could see, she had the right idea. "Hey, where's Ziva?" he asked._

_"She has nothing to do with this, Anthony," Ducky responded grimly._

_Well, at least Ducky was speaking to him though he wasn't sounding all that friendly, very un-Ducky-like. But,at least he was talking. Tony had started to think the members of his team had been replaced by some kind of alien life form. A few minutes went by. Ducky was once again quiet and a heavy silence hung over the room. Tony started to fidget and finally decided he had had enough. "I think I'm going to leave," he said as he rose from his chair._

_"SIT!" Gibbs bellowed as he slapped Tony's head so hard his ears started to ring._

_"Geeze, boss, are you trying to take my head off or something?" Tony rubbed the back of his head gingerly as Gibbs laughed._

_Just then, two waiters entered the room, each carring a dome-covered silver serving tray. Gibbs got to his feet as the first tray was placed on the table in front of him. Without a word, he proceeded to lift the cover from the tray. Tony's eyes widened in horror when he saw what was underneath. It was Kate...or rather Kate's head, looking just as she had right after Ari had murdered her._

_"Oh my God," Tony tried to fight back nausea as he stood in order to escape from the room, but was grabbed by Gibbs before he could do so._

_"You're not going anywhere, Dinozzo. It's time for Kate to choose."_

_"It's time for Kate to choose," the others at the table echoed eerily._

_Everyone looked at Kate's head expectantly as she smiled and started to speak. "Eenie meenie minie moe, catch an agent by the toe. I choose...Tony!" She looked up at Tony and winked mischievously._

_"Yay for Tony! Tony, Tony, Tony!" Abby chanted, clapping each time she said his name._

_"A very fine choice, indeed, Caitlin," Ducky said, smiling._

_"Best choice ever." McGee nodded his approval, a huge grin on his face. "About time he gets what he deserves."_

_"And you're going to get what's coming to you too, McGee," Gibbs said with a sparkle in his eye. "How would you like to be my new senior field agent?"_

_"Really, boss? I'd be honored." _

_"Wait a minute, what's going on here? What about me, boss?" Tony didn't like the way any of this was going._

_"Oh don't you worry, Dinozzo," Gibbs said soothingly. "I am going to take very special care of you. Special care for a very special agent." He reached for the other serving tray and with a grand flourish removed the cover, revealing what was underneath...a very shiny and sharp-looking ax. "Lie down on the table, Dinozzo."_

_Tony shook his head as the realization of what was about to happen dawned on him. "Boss?" His voice cracked as he gave Gibbs an appealing look._

_"McGee, get him on the table," Gibbs ordered impatiently. "I'm starving and I'm sure dinner must be ready by now. Its going to get cold."_

_"Come on, Tony...don't make this difficult." With a little help from Ducky, McGee forced Tony to lie on the table._

_"Don't worry, Dinozzo...it will only hurt for an instant." His eyes gleaming demonically, Gibbs raised the ax high in the air and Tony screamed as he aimed it towards his unprotected neck._

_*****_

Gibbs was pacing back and forth across the small room when Tony started to scream. He immediately rushed to the younger man's side. He was thrashing about frantically, his face covered with sweat, obviously in the midst of some horrific nightmare. "Tony?" Gibbs placed his hand on Dinozzo's shoulder and patted it gently. "Come on, Tony...wake up."

Tony slowly opened his eyes and he focused on Gibbs. "Get away from me!" he yelled, giving Gibbs a panic-stricken look. He tried to stand up, but was too weak and dizzy and he stumbled, ending up back on the floor.

"Dinozzo...its me, Gibbs." Gibbs deliberately kept his voice low and calm, trying to reassure his agent who was obviously still caught up in the nightmare.

"I said get away!" The terror on Tony's face was all too real and Gibbs backed off, not wanting to appear any more threatening than he already was. "Come on, Tony...its me...I'm not going to hurt you."

"You...you want to...to kill me..." Tony stammered. "You...you're going to chop my head off and give McGee my job."

Gibbs gave Tony an incredulous look. The absurdity of what Dinozzo was saying would have been funny if the situation wasn't so damn serious. "Come on, Dinozzo...I would never do that...I would never try to kill you..." He couldn't help wonder about the potency of the drug Bellingam had used on Dinozzo and what other effects it might have.

"Yes you would...you did...and...and you all thought it was funny. You and Ducky and McGee and Abby and Kate's head..."

Gibbs decided not to ask about Kate's head. He had a feeling he really didn't want to know.

"Its just you and me here, Dinozzo. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

Tony looked back at Gibbs apprehensively. "You just...you just stay away from me," he ordered. Exhaustion was beginning to overcome him again. His eyelids began to droop, but he quickly popped them open again, staring at Gibbs distrustfully.

Gibbs nodded. "I'm not going to go near you, Tony," he said softly. He could see Tony was beginning to lose his battle to stay awake and he decided to just wait him out, sensing it wouldn't be long before he succumbed. After only a few more minutes, Gibbs was proven right and Dinozzo drifted off to sleep. Gibbs prayed that this time it would be a dreamless slumber.

*****

Bellingham chuckled to himself as he watched the scene unfolding between the two NCIS agents. This was even better than he could have imagined. Watching Gibbs' tortured expression as Dinozzo deteriorated was entertainment at its best. He only wished his wife was still alive so she could have watched this with him, though there was a slight part of him that wondered if she would have approved of what he was doing to Gibbs' young agent. Perhaps not, but he would have made her understand. This was the only way he would be able to move past what had happened to Lizzie. Once Gibbs had paid, he could try to move on with his life.

*****

"We've got nothing, absolutely nothing." McGee said, his tone and demeanor making his discouragement obvious. "Its like they just vanished into thin air." He, Ziva and Ducky had gathered in Abby's lab to discuss their missing colleagues.

"None of Gibbs' neighbors saw anything?" Abby questioned.

Ziva shook her head. "Nothing of any helpfulness. A couple of people reported seeing a white van, but they couldn't recall any details Its not enough to go on."

"Surely someone must know something about Jethro's and Anthony's whereabouts." Ducky was finding this latest turn of events to be quite distressing.

"That may be true, Ducky but they're definitely not telling," McGee stated.

"Well, we can't give up!" Abby was trying her best to get some optimism into the room. The mood was much too dismal. "Tony and Gibbs would never give up if it was one of us."

"No one is giving up," stated Tim. "We just need to come up with a new strategy."

"McGee is right," said Ziva. "Let us go back to the beginning. Perhaps we can discover something we overlooked before."

*****

Sheldon smiled in satisfaction. His idea was beginning to shape up. He had decided to let two of Bellingham's men in on his plan. Like Sheldon, both were here for a one-time payout and neither had any loyalty to Bellingham. They were both in it for the money and if Sheldon's plan worked, the possible reward was far greater than anything they could have ever gotten from Bellingham. They had agreed that 15 million dollars was a reasonable request and would set them up very nicely. Dinozzo Sr. should be more than willing to pay that amount to get his obnoxious kid back. Now, he just needed to contact Dinozzo Sr. and take Bellingam out of the picture.

*****.

Gibbs kept watch as Tony rested fitfully. The younger man had been drifting in and out of an uneasy sleep for the last hour or so. Gibbs just hoped he wouldn't have any more nightmares. That last one had really been a doozy ."Go way," Tony mumbled as Gibbs went to feel his forehead. He was distressed to feel how much warmer Tony felt than he had just a short time ago. He was really burning up.

"Damn it..." Gibbs felt completely helpless and it was a feeling he despised. Tony needed medical attention badly and he was powerless to get it for him. "What can I do for him, Ducky?" he asked softly, wishing like crazy that his good friend and medical examiner could hear him.

"Cold," Tony said incoherently and Gibbs noted that he was starting to shiver.

"Come on, Dinozzo." Gibbs put his arms around his agent and began to assist him up off the floor.

"Wh...what are you doing, boss?" Tony asked as he opened his eyes halfway and gazed up at his superior.

"Getting you up off this floor," Gibbs replied as he guided Dinozzo towards the mattress. He was relieved to find that Tony no longer appeared to be afraid of him.

"NO!" Tony unsuccessfully tried to squirm out of Gibbs' grasp. "That thing's gross, boss. Don't wanna.."

"I don't care what you want, Dinozzo." Gibbs' tone left no room for argument as he deposited Tony onto the mattress. "This floor is freezing." The worn mattress was old and thin, but it would still provide a layer of protection between Dinozzo and the ice cold concrete floor. Gibbs then proceeded to remove his jacket before he pulled Dinozzo into his arms so that he was resting against Gibbs' chest. He then gently placed his jacket over Dinozzo.

"Wh...what the heck are you doing?" Tony asked, more than a little bit uncomfortable to find himself in Gibbs' arms.

"Keeping you warm, Dinozzo," Gibbs answered gruffly. "Don't make a mountain out of a molehill."

"Right, boss..." Tony suddenly realized that Gibbs' jacket was covering him. "Don't need that." He weakly tried to remove the garment but Gibbs firmly held it in place.

"Leave it alone, Dinozzo. God, you're stubborn."

"Pot, kettle, boss...guess I learned from the best," Tony murmured sleepily, as he allowed his eyes to close once again.

"Yeah, I guess you did," Gibbs said as a faint smile touched his lips. His eyes wandered around the room searchingly. Surely, there was a way out of this mess...there had to be. He just needed to figure out what it was...


	7. Chapter 7

AN: As always, thank you all so much for your comments and support. As an aside, there probably isn't any real drug that would give Tony all these symptoms, its all just for storyline purposes. Hopefully, you can just put that aside and go along with it. Thanks so much for reading :)

xxxxx

Belligham lightly fingered the syringe staring at the golden-colored liquid held within. Although the drug he had already injected Agent Dinozzo with would eventually cause his demise, it was working much too slowly for Bellingam's liking. This drug would work immediately, causing Dinozzo's air passages to close. His plaque-scarred lungs would struggle for air, but it would be a futile battle and the young man would quickly and painfully suffocate right before Gibbs' eyes. "You brought this all on yourself, Gibbs," Bellingham whispered. "This is all your fault." He knew that Gibbs would never be able to recover from what he was about to do to his agent.

xxxxx

The first jolt of pain came without warning, sharp and shooting into the middle of his abdomen. Tony gasped softly then moved away from Gibbs and rolled onto his side, facing the wall.

"Tony? What is it?" Gibbs asked as he squatted beside his agent and gently rubbed his hand over the back of his shoulder, trying to bring him some small measure of comfort.

"Stomach, boss," Tony whispered, clenching his fists tightly as another wave of pain came over him. "Definitely not hunger pangs."

"Damn it all to hell!" Gibbs' frustration with the situation had finally come to a head as he slammed his hand into the mattress.

"Sorry, boss." Tony gave Gibbs a startled look, momentarily forgetting his pain.

"What the hell are you sorry about, Dinozzo?" Gibbs' expression was ferocious, his emotions beginning to spiral out of control.

"I..." Tony's green eyes looked stricken, unable to finish the thought as he was assaulted by more pain which he tried to hide, but his effort was less than stellar. He whimpered softly and closed his eyes tightly, ashamed that he couldn't take a little bit of pain.

Tony's slight whimper was all it took for the anger to fly out of Gibbs like the air from a popped balloon. What in God's name was he doing? "I'm sorry, Tony. I am so sorry." Gibbs' eyes were riddled with guilt as he took in the sorry state of his agent. No wonder Dinozzo was having nightmares about him. He wasn't handling this very well at all. "Everything's going to be okay..." Now he was just outright lying. Not that it really mattered snce Tony seemed to be lost in his own little world of hurt at the moment.

Tony moaned and his face seemed to grow even more pale. "Th...think I'm going to be sick, boss," he panted apologetically, Gibbs rushed to grab the bucket then held onto Tony as his stomach went into violent spasms. At this point, Dinozzo was pretty well dehydrated and nothing came up as he just painfully dry heaved. Finally, the spasms diminished and he leaned back limply against Gibbs.

"Better?" Gibbs questioned. His arms were wrapped around his agent the same way he had used to hold his daughter to comfort her when she was ill.

Tony didn't speak, but just gave a slight nod. Truthfully, he was feeling pretty awful, but didn't really see the point in saying it. He was going to die in this room. He was certain of it now. "Hey boss, you ever see that movie D.O.A.? Guy gets poisoned and only has 24 hours to figure out who did it before he dies. This is kinda like that except we know who did it and we don't really know how long exactly its going to take before I'm dead and even if we knew how many hours, we still really wouldn't know because we don't know what time it is since they took our watches," he finished breathlessly.

Gibbs shook his head as he tried to follow Dinozzo's long run-on sentence. He had no idea what he was talking about, but did get that his young agent believed he was dying. "I told you before, Dinozzo...you're not going to die." Gibbs was trying very hard to maintain his composure when, in fact, it was very obvious to him that Tony's condition was going downhill.

Just then, the sound of the door opening was heard before Bellingham, Sheldon, and two other nameless cronies trooped into the room. Without any preliminaries, Bellingham produced another syringe. "I've decided that prolonging your suffering would be an injustice, Agent Dinozzo," Bellingham began. "This drug will cause your air passages to swell and you will be unable to breathe. Admittedly, its not the most pleasant way to go, but it will be over very quickly, especially in your weakened state." Tony's eyes widened in undisquised panic, visions of his bout with the plague and the breathing difficulties that had accompanied it flooding his mind.

Gibbs had reached his limit. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he growled. He released his grip on Dinozzo and got to his feet, standing protectively in front of his agent. "He did NOTHING to you, you crazy bastard, nothing at all. Don't you have a conscience?"

Tony mentally cheered Gibbs on, wishing he was able to help, but feeling dangerously close to passing out.

"I am doing this for my daughter!" Bellingham shouted angrily. "She didn't do anything either, but she's still dead! This is all your doing, Agent Gibbs. Now stand aside!"

"Like hell I will. You're not touching him."

Bellingham smiled maliciously. "You say that like you have a choice. Sheldon...move Agent Gibbs away from our young friend here." Gibbs eyed Sheldon as he readied himself for a fight. He knew he basically had no chance against the armed men, but he'd be damned if he'd just stand here and do nothing. He'd rather he and Dinozzo go out in a blaze of gunfire than Tony have to suffer any more on his account. Bellingham licked his lips in anticipation as he watched Sheldon moving towards Gibbs. He couldn't wait for this moment. He felt like a kid on Christmas morning. It was all too perfect...

Then, in a split second, everything changed. Bellingham's expression changed from one of blissful glee to one of pure horror when Sheldon turned towards him, aimed his gun, and without hesitation proceeded to shoot him in the head.

xxxxx

Tim sighed in frustration as he took a few seconds to massage his throbbing temples. He opened up his top desk drawer, took out a bottle of Tylenol and shook two tablets into his hand which he swallowed down with a couple of gulps from his water bottle.

"Headache McGee?" Ziva asked as she observed the young agent from her own desk.

"Yeah." McGee leaned his head back and allowed his eyes to close for a few moments. "I don't know where to go next, Ziva," he admitted, deep discouragement evident in his voice. They had gone back to Gibbs' house again, had re-dusted his car and house for prints, had re-questioned neighbors, searched and photographed, all to no avail.

"Maybe you should get some rest, McGee," Ziva suggested softly.

McGee immediately shook his head.

"Just for a short while."

"I don't need to rest. I need to find some clue to where the boss and Tony are."

"Ziva's idea is a sound one, Timothy," Ducky said as he suddenly appeared and walked over to McGee's desk. "A little bit of sleep could give you a whole new perspective."

"But..."

"No buts, Timothy. Exhausting yourself is not going to do Jethro or Anthony any good. And Ziva, you need to rest as well, just for a little while. Abigail is napping in the lab as we speak."

Tim and Ziva both nodded. "Alright. Ducky, we'll get some shut eye, but not for long," stated Tim.

Pleased, Ducky nodded. Maybe a bit of rest would freshen their minds and lead them down a new road to find the missing agents.

xxxxx

The oppressive silence proved a sharp contrast to the deafening sound of the gunshot that had just echoed through the room. Bellingham lay on the floor, dead, with half his head blown away. Gibbs felt nothng but relief as he gazed at the lifeless man on the floor. Just like that, it was over. "Thanks," he said to Sheldon, before crouching down next to his senior field agent. "I'm going to get you some help now, Tony. You're going to be okay."

Ignoring Gibbs, Sheldon turned his attention to the other two men. "We leave now!" he ordered. "Hurry, someone could have heard the gunshot."

'Or seen it on the camera,' Gibbs thought to himself.

Sheldon directed his eyes back towards Gibbs. "Get your buddy up. We're getting out of here."

"What? No." Gibbs shook his head, confused. "He needs an ambulance. Just go. I'll take care of him." Justice be damned at this point. His first priority was to get Dinozzo some much needed medical attention.

"He's not getting one right now," Sheldon growled as he made a menacing gesture with his gun. "Get him up, or I'll do it myself and somehow I don't think I'll be quite as gentle as you'll be."

What the hell...His heart beating rapidly, Gibbs wrapped his arms around Dinozzo and managed to get the half conscious man to his feet. "Listen why don't you guys just get out of here?" Gibbs decided to make one more plea for their freedom. "I just want to get him some help."

"Don't make me shoot him."

Gibbs stared back into Sheldon's cold eyes and realized further protests would be futile, that this whole thing was far from over. Damn...they just couldn't catch a break. "Come on, Tony." For his part, slumped against Gibbs with the older man bearing most of his weight, Dinozzo did at least manage somewhat of a shuffling gait to help out a bit as Gibbs guided him out of the room.

They moved down the hallway and Gibbs was a little bit surprised when they made it all the way back to the van without being stopped by any kind of security which was weird since the head of the company had just been murdered right on the premesis. Then again, something fishy had to be up with the security here or he and Dinozzo wouldn't have been able to be imprisoned the way they had. "Hey, how you doing?" Gibbs asked softly as he helped Tony sit on the floor at the back of the van which was opened. Gibbs truly feared for his agent who, in his opinion, looked worse than he had when he was sick with the plague. "Tony? Can you hear me?" he asked again when he failed to respond.

"I'm okay, boss," Tony replied, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Could really use some water..."

At that request, Gibbs sent an imploring look in Sheldon's direction, wondering if he could be so heartless as to withhold water from him.

"Get him inside," Sheldon demanded. "Sam, you get in the back with them. Pete's gonna drive and I have to make a call. They try anything at all...shoot them."

Sam nodded. "Don't think they'll be stupid enough to do that," he said with a cocky grin.

After Gibbs had gotten Tony settled into the van, Sheldon pulled out a set of handcuffs. "Now, I'm not as callous as you might think," he said as he fastened one cuff onto Gibbs' left wrist. "But I'm not stupid either." He secured the other cuff onto Dinozzo's right wrist. "This should allow you enough mobility to take care of him." He left the rest unspoken, that Gibbs would find it extremely difficult to cause much trouble while being held at gunpoint, cuffed to the very sick man beside him.

Sheldon then went to the far inner corner of the van where a few boxes were stacked. He opened one and pulled out two bottles of water which he handed to Gibbs. "Now, settle back and enjoy the ride, gentlemen." He proceeded to turn on a battery-operated lantern, which cast a dim light over the interior of the van, then exited, closing the doors behind him. A few minutes later, the engine started up and they were once again on their way to an unknown destination.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: I was a little under the weather this weekend so I managed to get in some extra writing time,. From some of your comments, I think there may be some disappointment regarding Dinozzo Sr. but I'm taking some of my direction from Flesh and Blood and its just my own opinion. Hopefully I won't lose all my readers. As always, your reviews are greatly appreciated. :) Thanks for reading.

*****

Tony's eyes were fixed on the bottles of water in Gibbs' hand and his own cuffed hand moved along with Gibbs' as his leader opened one and offered it to his agent. Tony grabbed it and started to greedily gulp down the precious liquid, which cooled and soothed his dry, parched throat.

"Whoa...Tony, slow down." Gibbs pulled the bottle out of his agent's grasp. "Come on, you're going to make yourself sick."

"Really thirsty, boss." Tony looked at Gibbs pleadingly. It felt like forever since he had last had a drink. He couldn't remember ever havng been so thirsty before. "Please?"

"Alright, just take small sips though." Gibbs watched to make sure Tony did as he was told and was satisfied as the younger man drank a bit more then placed the half-empty bottle on the floor beside him.

"Aren't you going to drink any, boss?" Dinozzo asked, his eyes on the other bottle which Gibbs had placed down untouched.

"Not thirsty," Gibbs stated.

Tony raised an eyebrow skeptically. Even feeling the way he was, he knew that couldn't be true. Then he realized that Gibbs was likely saving the water for him which he wasn't at all happy about. "Better drink something...they might take it away from you if you don't," Tony muttered.

Gibbs sighed softly as he opened the bottle and took a couple of sips. He had to admit the water felt damn good going down. He only drank a bit though, wanting to ration it as he wasn't sure when or if they would get any more. He turned towards the guy, Sam, who was now watching them. "So, Sam...any more water in that box over there?"

Sam looked back at Gibbs with a slight glare. "Kinda greedy aren't you?" he asked. "You haven't even drank half of what you've got there."

"Just wondering. Sam," Gibbs replied evenly. "A man gets curious about that sort of thing when he's been locked away in a room without any."

"Yeah, guess he might at that," Sam agreed readily. "But I wouldn't worry about it too much. Bellingham was nuts. We just..."

"Just what, Sam?" Gibbs asked, his voice as smooth as silk as he tried to get more information from the man.

"Just nothing man. Mind your own business," Sam snapped.

Gibbs' attention went to his cuffed wrist which Dinozzo was obliviously pulling towards him as he grasped his stomach, obviously in pain. "Tony?"

"Stomach again, boss," Tony gasped as the van bounced over a pothole and he swallowed back the nausea which was once again threatening.

"You got a bucket or anything in here, Sam?" Gibbs asked, recognizing that Tony was on the verge of getting sick.

"Oh man, is he gonna puke?" Sam scampered over to the boxes, but found nothing suitable to serve as a basin.

Tony was rapidly losing the battle with his stomach. He turned in the opposite direction of Gibbs and vomited up the water that he had just swallowed.

"Oh man...that's just gross!" Sam's nose curled up in disgust.

"He can't help it," Gibbs growled, then his tone softened significantly as he turned towards his senior agent. "How you doing, Dinozzo?"

"Fine," Tony answered tonelessly. He was sick of the same old questions, sick of the same situation, sick of being sick. He was freezing again and began to shiver uncontrollably. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine he was anywhere but here. It didn't work though.

"Hey, you have any blankets?" Gibbs asked Sam after looking at Dinozzo with concerned eyes. Dinozzo was still wearing his jacket but Gibbs' had been inadvertently left behind in their prison with Bellingham's dead body. There was a definite chill in the van and Gibbs knew that Dinozzo was feeling it much more due to his feverish state.

Sam rolled his eyes. Man, these guys were annoying. He envied Sheldon and Pete sitting in the front of the van. "No I don't have any blankets or satin sheets or big fluffy pillows that he can lay his little head on, now will you shut up?"

"Just forget it, boss," Tony advised weakly. "Doesn't matter anyway..."

"Of course it matters, Dinozzo." Gibbs couldn't help but be disturbed as he observed his agent. Tony appeared to be very ill, but that hadn't really changed. It was more the way he was holding himself...his posture slumped and dejected and his eyes looked hopeless... He was starting to give up. "Dammit, Tony. you've got to fight this," he demanded, staring at his agent intently. "Fight."

****

"If you want your son back alive, you have 24 hours to get us 15 million dollars."

"Wh...what? Is this some kind of joke?" Anthony Dinozzo, Sr. held the phone in shocked silence as he tried to process what the nameless voice had just said to him. "I...I don't have that kind of money..." he started to explain.

"Well...I certainly hope that's not true. Because if it is...you've just signed young Anthony's death warrant."

"No. Wait. How...how do I know you really have him?" Dinozzo Sr. asked.

"I'll call back," the caller stated. "In the meantime, you start thinking about getting that money together. And not a word to anyone, especially the cops. If you do, you're never going to see that kid of yours again, except in a body bag."

His hands shaking slightly, Dinozzo Sr. clicked off the phone. He had no idea what he was going to do...

*****

The ringing of McGee's phone intruded on the silence that lay heavily over the bullpen area. Tim quickly grabbed for it. "Agent McGee." From the expression on his face, Ziva, Ducky and Abby could tell something was definitely up. "We've got a lead," he stated grimly, a few moments later, as he hung up the phone. "Dead body was found and Tony's and Gibbs' prints were all over the place."

They arrived at the pharmaceutical company in record time and were soon investigating the room where Charles Bellingham's body had been found. "What on earth could they have been doing here?" Ziva asked as she placed Gibbs' jacket into an evidence bag. "This makes no sense."

"I have no idea. Hopefully, Abby will get back to us soon with something on this Bellingham." McGee shook his head as he looked around in dismay at the room. There was a great deal of blood spatter from Bellingham's brutal shooting. He just hoped that Bellingham's blood was the only blood they were going to find.

"Tim?"

"Yeah?" McGee looked over at Ziva who was pointing up at some sort of security camera, "Maybe that will give us some answers..."

*****

Mercifully, the van finally came to a halt. The trip had been excruciating at best. Gibbs had no idea where they were, but the roads had been very rough and bumpy, increasing Dinozzo's nausea. Tony had been in a world of misery, feverish and shuddering, with his stomach spasming painfully. Gibbs had been beside himself, unable to do anything to relieve Tony's distress.

Gibbs waited apprehensively as the van doors began to open and Sheldon appeared, flaunting his weapon brashly. "Last stop," he announced. "Everybody out. How'd they do, Sam?"

"It really sucked." Sam couldn't get out of the van fast enough. "That guy's been puking and moaning practically the whole way. Next time, I'm up front."

Sheldon chuckled. "Sure thing, Sam." He turned towards the two men who remained in the van. "Get out here. Now!"

"I need some help with him." Tony had passed out and Gibbs was unable to move the unconscious man by himself the way they were cuffed together.

"Pete, help him," Sheldon ordered.

Pete climbed into the van and immediately began to complain. "God, it really stinks in here!" He grabbed Dinozzo and dragged him towards the doors of the van then glared at Gibbs, who wasn't moving terribly fast. The older agent's bad knee was stiff and swollen and was starting to hinder him considerably. "Hurry up." Finally, Gibbs was on the ground and Dinozzo was limply slumped against the door of the van.

Sheldon wordlessly handed his gun to Pete then scooped Dinozzo up into a fireman's carry. Gibbs followed along behind, having no choice but to keep up with Sheldon's pace as he was still cuffed to Tony. Pete and Sam brought up the rear. It was nightfall and they were in a heavily wooded area. Gibbs didn't even see the cabin until they were almost on top of it. "Grab the keys out of my pocket, and unlock the door, Sam," Sheldon instructed. They waited for a few moments while Sam fumbled in the dark with the keys. Finally he managed to get the door open and the group of men stepped inside.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Sorry that it took a little longer than I intended to get this chapter out. I had a harder time writing it than I did with some of the earlier chapters. Thanks so much for all the great reviews. They definitely keep me motivated, especially when the writing isn't coming as easily. Thanks everybody. Hope you like the latest installment :)

A couple of small spoilers for Flesh and Blood are contained in this chapter.

*****

The men entered the cabin and Pete turned on the lantern, setting it down on a wooden table. The room was relatively large with a fireplace, table and chairs, a sofa, overstuffed chair and two cots. Sheldon was about to unceremoniously dump Dinozzo on the floor, but then he had a slight twinge of conscience and instead placed him on one of the cots. There was a folded Indian blanket at the foot of the cot which Gibbs gently tucked around Dinozzo's shivering form.

"There you go," Gibbs said softy as he brushed his hand back through Tony's hair. "Hopefully that'll make you a little more comfortable."

"Boss?" Tony opened his eyes and looked around in obvious confusion. "Where are we?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Don't really know...a cabin out in the woods somewhere." He paused before asking the next question which he knew Dinozzo hated to hear. "How are you feeling?"

"Stomach's a little better, I guess," Tony replied. He knew that was deceptive though. The pain and nausea seemed to come and go, attacking him at random intervals. He glanced over at the three men who were quietly talking on the other side of the room. "So...what do you think's up with the three stooges?"

"I don't know..." Gibbs responded thoughtfully then turned and gave a warning look to his young agent. "Tony, I want you to use your head and keep quiet. Don't start anything with them. That Sheldon may be a jerk, but he saved your ass back there. I don't want you antagonizing him. If he hadn't shot Bellingham..."

"I'd be dead..." Tony finished for him. "Don't worry, boss. I'll be good. Not really up to fun and games anyhow."

"Even if you are, Dinozzo...I don't want you playing them." Gibbs' eyes were deadly serious. "I can't protect you like this, Tony". He lifted up their cuffed wrists. "I'm hoping there's still a chance we can get out of this mess."

Tony nodded. "I meant what I said...I won't ruffle any feathers."

"Good." Gibbs was fighting the urge to rub his shoulder. Being cuffed to Tony who was lying on the cot, while Gibbs sat on the floor, wasn't the most comfortable of positions. His upper arm and shoulder muscles were starting to rival his knee in the pain department, but he didn't want to let on to Dinozzo. The younger man had a hell of a lot more to worry about than a few sore muscles and Gibbs wanted him to get as much rest as he could.

Just then, Sheldon walked over to Gibbs and Dinozzo. "So, I was thinking that we may as well let you in on our plan since, after all, it does involve you."

"Oh yeah?" Gibbs asked casually, not wanting to appear overly interested. Tony wasn't paying a whole lot of attention as he was on the verge of falling asleep again.

Sheldon glanced over at Dinozzo. "Your buddy's not doing so hot, is he?"

"He'll be okay," stated Gibbs, trying to sound convincing.

"I don't know..." Sheldon shook his head. "Bellingham really did a number on him. Who knows what kind of poison he shot him up with."

"You do know I can hear you, right?" Tony forced his eyes open and glared up at Sheldon. "I'm not deaf." Gibbs, in turn, glared at Dinozzo. If he hadn't been in such bad shape, Gibbs would have smacked his head.

"Well, that's good, I want you to hear me." Sheldon answered, paying no attention to Dinozzo's petulant attitude. While he had been unbelievably annoying the day before, Sheldon now found that he felt kinda sorry for Dinozzo more than anything. After all, it was entirely probable that he wouldn't be alive much longer. "This concerns you more than Gibbs anyhow. Well, you and your dear old dad."

Tony looked noticeably rattled at the mention of his father. "What are you talking about?" he asked. "What does my father have to do with anything?"

"I chatted with him earlier." Sheldon was clearly enjoying the effect his news was having on Dinozzo. "I let him know it was gonna cost him to get his bouncing baby boy back."

"What? But..."

"Dinozzo!" Gibbs' tone was sharp and the look on his face was clearly telling Tony to keep his mouth shut. He then turned to Sheldon with a trace of a smile on his lips. "So...how much are baby boys going for these days?"

"Oh about 15 million bucks. Payable in a little less than 24 hours."

The color drained out of Tony's face when he heard the amount. Even if his father had that kind of money, there was no way in hell he would pay it, but it was a moot point anyway since he was broke.

Gibbs whistled softly. "Wow...that's a lot of money. You sure he can get it?"

"He'd better get it if he wants to see his kid again."

Gibbs smiled at his agent, trying to get Tony to calm down a little. "I guess he's worth that," he said lightly.

"I wouldn't pay a plug nickel for him." Sheldon laughed as he headed back to join his comrades on the other side of the room. "But, he ain't my kid."

"You keep it together, Dinozzo," Gibbs ordered softly once Sheldon was out of earshot.

"Are you kidding?" Tony whispered frantically. "You know he has no money. We're as good as dead."

"Tony...Your father hasn't told them that though. He seems to be playing along right now. We still have a chance, especially if he goes to the authorities or better yet, NCIS." He knew Tony was feeling lousy and was far from thinking clearly at this point.

"He's not going to bother, boss. He doesn't care..." His eyes looked lost as he spoke. He could feel all the insecurities of his childhood coming back to haunt him. Tony was starting to shiver again and he pulled the blanket more tightly around him. He just wished this nightmare would end.

*****

Abby couldn't stop the free fall of tears as she watched the surveillance video. "Oh my God...He's going to kill Tony," she whispered to Ducky who was hugging her tightly, as much for his own benefit as for hers. He was disturbed by what they were witnessing on the video and was very worried about Tony's condition. There was a collective gasp in the room when Sheldon abruptly turned and shot Bellingham in the head.

"That was a little too close for comfort." McGee had noticeably paled during what had just taken place. He along with Ziva, Abby, Ducky and local police authorities had been going through the video footage for the last couple of hours. They had fast forwarded through a lot of it, most notably times when one or both of the men had been sleeping.

Ziva nodded, biting on her bottom lip. She had seen and experienced many things in her life, brutal torture and deaths, and prided herself on her stoicism in most situations. This was getting to her though. Tony appeared to be very sick and when Bellingham had threatened him with the second injection, he had looked very scared. Tony was never scared and she supposed that was the problem. She was not used to seeing him so vulnerable. It was very worrisome.

"We've gone through the rest of the video footage from the building," one of the detectives said as he entered the room and handed Tim a piece of paper. "We've got the license plate number. Your guys left in a white panel van. That's about all we could make out. Of course, we will have some people working on transcribing the tape and will make sure you get a copy of the transcript ASAP."

"Thanks very much," Tim said as he shook the detective's hand. "We're going to get back to headquarters now. I'll get a BOLO out on the license plate and hopefully we'll turn up something very soon."

*****

He had spent the last few of hours in a state of shock, his nerves on edge, his emotions on the verge of bubbling over as he weighed his options, which were limited to say the least. He couldn't stop his thoughts from drifting...memories long buried suddenly coming to the surface. The looks of disappointment...eyes filled with hurt... He wasn't sure why he had treated the boy the way he had. There were a million excuses he could offer, but in all honesty, looking back, they had no validity. He'd had his own separate life outside of the family. Once Tony's mother had died, his life had consisted of alcohol, travel, women and cons, some very successful, some not so much. He had left the boy to be raised at boarding schools, summer camps and by the household staff. He had basically ignored him for the most part unless Tony happened to be around after he had been drinking and he really didn't want to think about that. What was it that Gibbs said to him? That Tony likes to hide behind the face of a clown. He'd been pissed off when he'd said it and, as much as he hated to admit it, jealous. It had been obvious how much Gibbs cared about Tony and he knew the feelings were reciprocated. It was a hard thing for a man to admit...that another man was closer to his own son than he was, but it was the truth, and it was no one's fault but his own. He knew he couldn't compete with Gibbs...it was much too late for that, but maybe he could do something to try to make amends...maybe he could help save his son...

*****

The cot creaked loudly under Tony's weight as he shifted restlessly in his sleep. He started to roll from his side onto his stomach, yanking Gibbs arm along with him.

"Damn." Gibbs gritted his teeth as Tony moved away from him and the pain shot through his arm which was beginning to feel like a pretzel. "Tony? Come on, Tony. I need you to roll towards me." He grasped his agent's shoulder with his uncuffed hand and finally managed to move him so that he was on his back.

"Mom?" Tony's face was drenched with perspiration as his head thrashed about on the pillow. Gibbs placed his hand on Tony's forehead and was alarmed at the heat emanating from it.

Gibbs looked across the room at Sheldon who was keeping watch while the other two men slept. "Hey," Gibbs called, getting Sheldon's attention. "He's really burning up. I don't suppose you could get me some water and a cloth so I can try to cool him down?"

Sheldon was obviously annoyed as he considered the request. Finally, he walked over to Gibbs, pulling a key out of his pocket as he did so. He then proceeded to unlock the cuff from Gibbs' wrist, "There's a pump out back," he said. "You want water, you go get it yourself. I don't think I need to tell you that any funny business would be a big mistake."

"You don't have to worry," Gibb said gruffly, his eyes on Tony. "I just want the water. I'll be right back."

"Bucket is over by the door and you'd better take this," Sheldon said, tossing him a flashlight. "Wouldn't want you to get lost out there."

"Thanks." Gibbs grabbed the flashlight and headed outside. He scanned the area with the narrow beam as he walked towards the back of the cabin. All he could make out were trees and more trees. He easily found the pump and after he had filled the bucket, headed back inside the cabin. When he got there, he found a folded washcloth on Tony's cot. Sheldon had already settled back into his chair and made no move to recuff Gibbs who certainly wasn't about to mention it either. Instead, he dipped the cloth into the cool water and bathed Tony's face before draping the cloth over his forehead.

"Mom? Mom where are you?" Tony murmured as he tried to swipe the cloth from his head.

"It's okay, Tony," Gibbs soothed as he put the cloth back in place. "You just rest. Everything's going to be fine."

Tony opened his eyes and stared up at Gibbs in a feverish daze. "Dad? Go away. Where's mom? I want my mom."

"Shhhh...it's me, Tony..it's Gibbs. Try to sleep. I'm taking care of you." The calmness in Gibbs' tone was a direct contrast to the fear and anxiety the older agent was feeling. Tony continued to ramble deliriously and Gibbs couldn't help but wonder how high Tony's temperature really was.

"Don't feel good...want my mom...please get my mom." Tony was lost in the fever and Gibbs' words had no impact whatsoever as he incoherently pleaded for his mother

Seeing his usually unflappable agent in this state was causing Gibbs a high degree of distress as he battled against the fever that was raging in Dinozzo. He felt extremely helpless and wished that Ducky would miraculously appear to tell him what to do. He pulled off Tony's sweat-soaked shirt and began to bathe his chest, giving Sheldon a nod of appreciation as he was presented with another cloth. Finally, after what felt like forever to Gibbs, Tony quieted down and either drifted off to sleep or passed out, he wasn't sure which. In any case, Dinozzo at least seemed to be a little bit cooler and Gibbs was thankful for small victories at this point.

Fighting against his own exhaustion, Gibbs continued the cooling measures and silent prayers through the night, relentless in his efforts to help Tony. Then, shortly after the morning sun had started to rise, he got his reward. Tony's eyes slowly opened and there was a gleam of recognition in them as he looked up at Gibbs. "Hey, boss," he croaked hoarsely.

"Hey yourself, Dinozzo." Gibbs smiled in relief as he felt his agent's forehead which had cooled considerably. "You had quite a night."

"S...sorry, boss."

"Nothing to be sorry about." Gibbs noticed that Tony was licking his lips and he reached for a water bottle. "Here, drink some of this." He supported Tony's head and held the bottle to his lips as he took a couple of small sips. Then, Gibbs gently lowered Tony's head back onto the pillow and watched as he struggled to keep his eyes open. "Don't fight it, Tony...you need to rest. I'll be right here with you...just sleep..." He watched as Tony weakly nodded and allowed his eyes to close. His breathing evened out and he was asleep almost instantly.

Gibbs rubbed his eyes as he rested his head against the edge of the cot and let himself relax for the first time since Tony's fever had spiked. The crisis was averted, at least for now. He didn't believe that Tony was miraculously cured, nor did he know what was going to happen later that day when Sheldon was supposedly going to collect his 15 million bucks. All he knew was that at this moment, things were okay. Knowing he would need his strength to face whatever this day woukd bring, Gibbs closed his eyes and finally fell asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate – I hope you have a wonderful holiday. For those of you who don't celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful day too. Here's a little something for your Easter baskets :)

First of all, I want to apologize for not responding to reviews for the previous chapter. It was a crazy busy week with work and real life and I just didn't have time. I'm not the world's fastest writer and I really wanted to get this out today so I hope you understand – I promise to do better this chapter. I really do appreciate all your feedback. You've been incredibly supportive, especially those of you who have been responding since the beginning and I appreciate it more than I can say. Even the smallest comment can brighten up my day so thanks so much.

I'm off to Easter dinner now – Enjoy!!

*****

Something was wrong.

Gibbs awoke with a sense of dread and a sick feeling in the pit of stomach. His eyes immediately went to Tony who appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Gibbs gently felt Tony's forehead and found that although he was still warm, it in no way rivaled the fever from the previous night. Feeling a bit better, Gibbs allowed his eyes to close again, but he then heard the sound that had likely caused him to awaken in the first place...coughing...Tony's coughing...

He'd been fearing it would happen from the moment that bastard Bellingham had injected the contents of the syringe into Tony's arm. Ever since he had developed extensive scarring of his lungs due to the plague, it was important for Tony not to let himself get run down. Gibbs knew the consequences could be dire if his agent was to acquire pneumonia. He watched like a hawk as the young agent seemed unable to keep still, tossing and turning in his sleep with sporadic coughing. Eventually, Tony began to show signs of awakening. He burrowed further underneath the blanket before opening his eyes and gazing sleepily up at Gibbs. "No rescue yet?" he asked, his voice raspy from a combination of just waking up and his developing cough.

Gibbs shook his head. "Not yet, DiNozzo, but I'm real hopeful something good will happen today."

"Yeah? That's great, boss." Personally, Tony didn't really share Gibbs' opinion, but what did he know? Gibbs and his gut were right more often than not. They were silent for a short time before Tony spoke again. "Is there any more water?"

Gibbs glanced at the two empty water bottles on the floor and then his eyes went to Sheldon who was sprawled out asleep on the couch while Pete and Sam were seated at the table playing a card game. "Can we please have some more water?" Gibbs called out.

"Pete slowly got to his feet and retrieved two bottles of water which he brought over to Gibbs. "You hungry?" he asked as he handed Gibbs the bottles.

Was he kidding? "I could definitely eat," Gibbs replied as he twisted the cap off one of the water bottles and passed it to Tony

Pete nodded and went back across the room, returning only seconds later with a package of crackers which he handed to Gibbs. "Thanks," Gibbs accepted the crackers, the first food they had been offered in days. In normal circumstances, he would have turned his nose up at them, but now, the crackers were priceless. He opened the package and offered a cracker to Tony, "Here, DiNozzo. Eat this."

Tony shook his head, looking at the cracker distastefully. "No thanks. I'm good with the water."

"Come on, Tony...just try..."

"Boss, please...I can't..." He knew Gibbs was only looking after his well being and he really wasn't trying to be difficult, but just the thought of eating anything made his stomach flip flop.

Gibbs saw the very real distress in Tony's eyes and decided to let him off the hook. "It's okay, Tony," he said softly. "If you can't eat, you can't eat...I'm not going to force you."

"Thanks..." Tony felt a tickle beginning in the back of his throat and unsuccessfully tried to stifle an eruption of coughing. When the coughing fit had ended, he shot an almost guilty look in Gibbs' direction.

All too familiar with the many expressions of DiNozzo, Gibbs met Tony's eyes, having no idea what his agent could be feeling guilty about. "What's on your mind, DiNozzo?" he finally asked.

"Nothing, boss..." Tony dropped his gaze and instead concentrated on playing with the fringe at the end of the blanket that covered him.

"DiNozzo...tell me," Gibbs coaxed.

Tony sighed, still not meeting Gibbs, eyes. "It's just...I'm sorry, boss...I'm sorry I've been so worthless during all this. You've been having to take care of me and I haven't been any help at all...If I wasn't sick, we might have already gotten out of this mess..."

Gibbs gently thumped Tony on the head. "What's the matter with you, DiNozzo? How on earth can you even for a minute think any of this is your fault?"

Tony shrugged. "I don't know…I just…"

Gibbs interrupted, not giving Tony a chance to finish his sentence. "Did you invite yourself to my house for dinner the other night? Did you ask to come along in my car? Did you beg Bellingham to shoot you up with God only knows what kind of poison into your system? Did you, DiNozzo? Because if you did any of that, I'll agree that this is your fault. But if you didn't…Damn it, DiNozzo…" Gibbs' voice was rising with every word. He brushed his hand back through his hair in frustration as he consciously forced himself to speak in a lower tone. "I don't even understand for a second how you could think any of this is your fault."

Tony said nothing. He just stared back at Gibbs with misery written all over his face. He despised hospitals with a passion, but all he wanted was to be in one right now, sleep for a week and let the doctors make him better.

"Tony? Are you listening to me? This is in no way your fault, got it?"

Tony nodded, but Gibbs could tell his words hadn't really sunken in and he was more worried than ever about his young agent.

*****

"Please send him right down," Ziva instructed then hung up the phone.

"What's up?" Tim inquired. He could tell by the look on Ziva's face that it was important.

"Tony's father..."

"Oh man...Do you think he knows something?"

Ziva nodded. "I would say it is a certainty," she replied.

The two agents waited a seemingly endless time for the elevator doors to open and a grim-faced DiNozzo Sr. to step out. They stood up as he approached. "Mr. DiNozzo," Ziva extended her hand. "It is a pleasure to see you again."

"Hello, Ziva," DiNozzo Sr. offered a faint smile as he took her hand. "You are looking lovely as always."

"Thank you." She knew he was lying. They had worked through the night and she was far from looking her best.

DiNozzo Sr. turned towards Tim. "It's good to see you again too, Agent..." He trailed off as he stared at Tim blankly, obviously having no recollection of the young man's name.

"McGee."

"McGee," DiNozzo Sr. repeated with an apologetic smile. He glanced around the bullpen area seeing no sign of his son, further confirming what he already suspected to be true. "I've been unable to reach Tony...was wondering if maybe he's undercover or something?"

Ziva and Tim exchanged a glance. "No, Tony isn't undercover," Tim replied.

"Oh..." There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence. "Where's Gibbs?" DiNozzo Sr. asked. "I need to speak to him. It's of some importance."

"Gibbs isn't here," Tim stated. "You can talk to us about whatever this matter is."

Ziva was growing impatient. "Enough of this tiny talk."

"Small talk," McGee corrected automatically.

"Small talk. Mr. DiNozzo, what do you know about Tony's disappearance?"

DiNozzo Sr. sighed heavily as his fears were finally confirmed without a shadow of a doubt. "I don't really know very much. Late yesterday afternoon a man called and said he has Tony and he wants 15 million dollars for his return."

"Caller ID?" Tim asked.

DiNozzo Sr. shook his head. "Unknown caller."

"Did he say when you need to give them the money?" Tim grabbed a notebook and pen from his desk and began to jot down details.

"Twenty four hours."

"What time did he call?" Ziva asked.

"4:30."

"Where's Gibbs?" DiNozzo Sr. asked, interrupting the agents' questioning. "He's so full of advice to me about my kid, but now that he's missing he's nowhere to be found?"

"Gibbs is also missing," Ziva explained.

"What?"

"They're together," Tim stated. "At least they were as of yesterday afternoon...Why don't you take a seat, Mr. DiNozzo. We have a lot to go over.

DiNozzo Sr.'s expression was one of confusion and for a second Ziva believed she saw a hint of jealousy on his face.

*****

"I'm going to go make the call to set things up," Sheldon said quietly. He glanced over at the two agents, but they didn't appear to be paying him any mind.

"Why can't you just call from here?" Sam asked.

"Because there's no signal way out in the woods, you moron," Pete answered.

"Yeah, what he said," Sheldon nodded. "Now you keep a close eye on them. That kid is really sick, so I doubt they'll be giving you any trouble, but if they start anything, just slap the cuffs back on."

"No problem...we'll keep a tight rein on them," Sam replied

Satisfied, Sheldon grabbed his cell phone and the keys to the van then left the cabin without another word.

*****

Gibbs placed his hand over Tony's forehead, undeterred as Tony tried to move away from him. "I don't have a fever," Tony muttered irritably.

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that," DiNozzo," Gibbs responded with a slight frown. Tony was definitely starting to heat up again. Gibbs wasn't sure how much more his body could take.

"Well?" Tony snapped.

Gibbs ignored the younger man's tone. He knew Tony was trying desperately to be brave, but there was no way he could disguise his eyes which were filled with fear. "You'll be fine, DiNozzo," Gibbs reassured. He patted Tony's hand and gave him an encouraging smile.

Tony nodded and tried to respond, but instead had another brutal coughing fit which left him breathless at the end of it.

"I think we need to sit you up, Tony." Gibbs gently put his hands on Tony's back and helped him up into a recumbent position. The older man then gingerly sat on the cot, hoping it was strong enough to support both their weights, and pulled Tony back against his chest.

"This again, boss?" Tony quipped as he managed to catch his breath. "Didn't know you liked me so much. You can't seem to keep your hands off me." Truthfully, he was greatly comforted as he leaned back against Gibbs. Even though he knew Gibbs really couldn't help him, it still made Tony feel safer somehow.

"Keep it up, DiNozzo." Gibbs smiled at Tony's words, knowing that the attempts at humor were signs that the young man was still fighting. "Just remember, you're going to get well and when you do, I won't have forgotten any of this."

Tony returned the smile and the two fell into a companionable silence. After a short time, Tony began to speak. "When I was really little...my mom used to hold me like this when was sick..." Tony said softly as he closed his eyes, becoming lost in the memories. "Most of the time she wasn't around that much. She was always shopping or organizing charity events...but when I was sick, she was always there. She would tell me stories...feed me chicken soup... You'll feel better soon, bambino. That's what she used to call me sometimes, bambino. I...I used to like being sick...sometimes I'd even pretend to be sick when I wasn't...those were the only times I ever used to feel like anyone loved me..."

Tony trailed off and Gibbs thought he had fallen asleep. Tony's defenses were down... way down. Gibbs knew he would never be letting these things out if they weren't. He couldn't help but feel overwhelmingly sad for a little boy who had only gotten love and attention when he was sick. It was wrong...it explained so much.

"Af...after my mom died...it just kind of stopped...my dad...he just always sent me away...camps...boarding school...it was like he didn't even know I existed most of the time. After my mom died, that was it...no one cared about me anymore..."

Gibbs could hear the sadness in Tony's voice and he tightened his hold on the young agent. "Not true, DiNozzo...lots of people care about you," he said gruffly, fighting back emotion. "Abby, Ducky, Ziva, McGee...they all care about you...and I care about you too, Tony." What the hell had been wrong with DiNozzo's father? It wasn't the first time Gibbs felt a flare-up of anger towards the man and as blanks began to be filled in, he was even more furious.

"Really, boss?" Tony questioned sleepily, sounding very much like an uncertain little boy, and Gibbs could tell that this time he was definitely about to drift off.

"Really, DiNozzo. I care about you very much..."


	11. Chapter 11

AN: As always, thanks so much for the reviews. They mean a lot to me. Hope you enjoy this chapter. :)

*****

The next couple of hours passed unbearably slowly. DiNozzo Sr. sat in the bullpen area anxiously waiting for his cell phone to ring. Ziva and McGee were there as well. One or both agents had been with him at all times so that he would be accompanied when the kidnapper called back. They had explained the situation thoroughly and he had become even more upset when they told him about the drug that had been injected into Tony and his son's condition. Although he had been irritated when he first heard that Gibbs was with Tony, he now was grateful that his boy was not alone. He knew Gibbs would move heaven and earth to make sure he was safe.

"Mr. DiNozzo? Can I get you some coffee or something?" Tim asked.

"No thank you, Agent McGee." The ringing of the cell phone startled both men and Ziva was instantly at DiNozzo Sr.'s side.

"Hello Mr. DiNozzo. I trust you have my money?"

"I...I don't have all of it yet...I need more time..." DiNozzo Sr. said, repeating what McGee and Ziva had coached him to say.

"How much do you have?" Sheldon asked.

"Six million…" Prince Omar had been incredibly sympathetic when DiNozzo Sr. had informed his friend about his son's situation and had immediately wired the funds to him, not saying a word about how or when it would be paid back.

Damn...that was nowhere near the amount he wanted, but Sheldon knew time was running out. DiNozzo wouldn't give them a cent if his kid was dead and that seemed a real possibility if they didn't move fast. "Fine...I guess that's going to have to do. This is where we'll meet..." He proceeded to give directions on where the trade was to occur as DiNozzo Sr. scribbled them down on a piece of paper.

"What about Tony? How do I even know he's alive?"

"He's not with me right now so you're just going to have to trust me that he is. He's not really in the best of shape though, so don't be pulling any funny business or you won't be seeing him alive ever again.

"I'll do whatever you say."

"Good. Be there at 4:30 and you'd better be alone, no cops, or your kid is dead."

The connection ended abruptly and DiNozzo Sr. looked at McGee expectantly. The young man had been frantically typing away on his computer keyboard trying to trace the call. "I couldn't get it," Tim said in obvious dismay. "Damn. Something was blocking the signal."

"We cannot worry about that now, McGee," stated Ziva. "We do not have much time. We must come up with a plan..."

*****

_"Gibbs! Boss, can you hear me?" Tony's shouts were becoming more frantic as the flames grew closer. The explosion had caught the team unaware. Tony had found McGee and Ziva relatively quickly, both having sustained only minimal contusions and scrapes. He had ordered them from the building while he continued to search for Gibbs. At first, the two agents had flat out refused to leave, but Tony had threatened to write them both up for disobeying orders and they had reluctantly made their way to safety. _

_"Boss, where are you?" The smoke was beginning to choke him now and he could hardly see. Then finally he caught a glimpse of his leader. "Boss!'_

_"DiNozzo! Get the hell out of here now!" The two were separated by a wall of flames. There was no way for Tony to reach Gibbs._

_Tony shook his head, refusing to give up as he desperately tried to solve the impossible dilemma. "I'm not leaving you, boss" he shouted just before the flames engulfed Gibbs. In a matter of seconds, he was gone._

_"Gibbs!" Tony screamed, his voice filled with grief that the man he loved like a father had been taken from him. Coughing harshly, he turned around to make his escape, but the flames were behind him now too. Totally surrounded by fire and smoke, Tony knew there was no way out and he succumbed to the flames and unbearable heat..._

"Noooo!" Tony was sobbing in his sleep, his body drenched in sweat from a fever that Gibbs was unsuccessfully trying to bring down.

"Tony, wake up." Gibbs had draped a water soaked towel over his young agent's chest and was constantly bathing his face with cool cloths. Nothing was helping though.

"I'm sorry, boss...I'm sorry...burning...we're burning..."

"God, Tony." Gibbs helped Tony sit up as his body was once again wracked with coughs. After the coughing had abated, he gently laid his agent back down on the cot. He then turned towards Sam and Pete, his body tense with barely controlled rage. "Unless you two want to be charged with the murder of a federal agent, I suggest you think about getting him to a hospital now."

Pete had been watching the deterioration of the young agent's condition with growing anxiety. He'd been doing what he could to help Gibbs, providing him with a couple of towels and fresh water from the well. This was becoming much more than he had bargained for. Sheldon had told them it was an easy way to cash in on some major dough, but he'd never expected the guy to croak. "We didn't poison him..."

"That doesn't matter," Gibbs retorted. "You're refusing to get him help. That's just as bad."

Sam was watching the two agents dispassionately. He didn't share Pete's feelings of guilt. He had killed before and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. "You want me to put him out of his misery?" He laughed crazily as he waved his gun in the air menacingly.

"Go to hell." Gibbs was very quickly reaching the end of his rope

"Somebody help us...we're burning up..."

"Shhhh...its okay, Tony."

"I'm hot, boss," Tony panted..."I'm really hot...want...want to go outside."

"You can't go outside right now, Tony." Gibbs was doing his best to calm the agitated agent, but wasn't having much success.

"Why can't I? You...you let Ziva and McGee go outside...why can't I? You...you like them better than me."

"He sounds like a two-year-old," Sam scoffed. "Does he think you're his father or something?"

"Why don't you keep your mouth shut," Gibbs said, his eyes icy cold and dark with fury. "He's delirious and it sure as hell isn't his fault he's like this."

"Not my fault either. Like Petey boy said, we didn't give him that poison."

"But, you just sit there and watch while he's getting worse and worse..." He didn't finish the sentence, that Tony was dying. He didn't want to say it out loud, didn't want Tony to hear him say those words...couldn't bear to think it was true, himself.

"Hey Sam, maybe he's right. Maybe we should do something," Pete said nervously. "I don't want this guy to die...I don't want to be charged with murder."

Sam laughed. "You going soft, Pete? They're not going to catch us. As soon as we get the money, we'll get rid of these two. No one will be able to identify us."

Pete shook his head frantically. "No way. Sheldon didn't say anything about killing them."

"Somebody mention my name?" Sheldon asked as he entered the cabin, closing the door behind him. He surveyed the scene in front of him. DiNozzo was obviously getting worse, Gibbs looked like he wanted to tear someone's head off, Pete had the appearance of a scared rabbit and Sam was just sitting there with a smirk on his face.

"This guy's really sick, Sheldon," Pete started. "He needs a hospital. I don't want to be charged with murder. You never said anything about that."

"I told him it doesn't matter," Sam said with an evil grin. "That we're going to kill them anyhow, just saves us the trouble of killing one of them...not that it's really any trouble to kill them. I'll be more than happy to do the honors myself."

"Is that true?" Pete asked. "You're going to shoot them?"

Sheldon didn't answer. He just stood there rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"What's with the sudden change of attitude anyhow?" Sam asked, looking at Pete expectantly. "You sure as hell didn't say anything when Bellingham was shooting him full of drugs."

Tony had momentarily quieted down and Gibbs took the opportunity to interrupt. "You know...killing us really isn't going to make any difference as far as your identities go. If my guess is correct, you've already been identified."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sam asked.

"Your so-called boss, Bellingham had a surveillance camera in our little prison back in the lab. Guess he got a kick out of watching us. Whole lot of evidence on that video, I'd imagine."

"What the hell!" Sam angrily turned towards Sheldon. "He had a camera? That means it taped you taking out Bellingham. You're already on the hook for murder, man. It doesn't matter if you kill one guy or twenty, the punishment's the same."

Gibbs was quick to intervene. "It wasn't murder. It was justified. Bellingham was going to kill DiNozzo. Sheldon shot him to protect Tony."

"Enough!" Sheldon shouted. He'd known about the camera, but hadn't even thought about it before shooting Bellingham. Everything had just happened so fast. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. Anyhow, its time to leave."

"Leave for where?" Gibbs asked apprehensively.

"Its time to collect Daddy DiNozzo's ransom money," Sheldon replied. "Get your pal ready to go."

Gibbs glanced at Tony who was moaning and twisting about in obvious discomfort. "Can't you see he's in no condition to be moved? What he needs is an ambulance, not to be bounced around in that damn van again."

"Well what I need is something to trade for the money and he's it so get him ready, now," growled Sheldon, who was quickly losing patience. "Or if you'd like, I can get him ready myself and leave you here so you don't have to ride in that 'damn van'."

Gibbs stared at Sheldon for a long moment before turning his attention back to his agent. "Come on, Tony," he said as he helped him to sit up. "It's time to go."

"Where...where we going?" Tony asked, looking at Gibbs through fever-glazed eyes. "Can...can I get some ice cream?"

Gibbs noticed that the younger man was breathing very heavily and audibly wheezing. "We're going to get you some help, Tony" Gibbs replied softly. "Then you can have all the ice cream you want."

"Good. I'll have chocolate," Tony whispered before leaning his head against Gibbs' chest.

Gibbs picked up Tony's jacket and guided his arms into the sleeves. He didn't bother with the shirt which was drenched with sweat. "Don't want to wear this. Too hot," Tony complained. He momentarily struggled to get the jacket off, but his attempt was feeble and Gibbs easily intercepted him.

"We're going outside, Tony. It's cold out there. You have to wear it," Gibbs said coaxingly. Exhausted, Tony slumped against Gibbs, the fight totally gone out of him.

A few minutes later, Sheldon approached and moved to pick Tony up.

"I'll carry him myself," Gibbs asserted, glowering at Sheldon defiantly.

Sheldon gave him an amused look. "You sure about that? He's no lightweight and honestly you look like you've seen better days."

"I said I've got him," Gibbs growled as he painstakingly managed to lift DiNozzo into his arms. He didn't trust any of these men not to hurt DiNozzo. He was going to protect him as well as he could for as long as he could or die trying. "Let's go."


	12. Chapter 12

AN: Here's the next chapter. Its a little shorter than some of the others but I wanted to get something out. Also, I really don't want to rush the ending so hopefully this isn't getting too draggy. Thanks so much for reading and a special thanks to those of you who have been reviewing. It really means a lot :)

*****

"So, what do you think?" Ziva asked McGee who immediately started pecking away at his keyboard again.

"First thing is to find exactly where this place is and see if we can see the layout. Maybe we can get an idea of what we're dealing with."

"He said its an old, deserted farmhouse," DiNozzo Sr. interjected.

"Why don't we just head up there early and scout around?" Ziva asked.

Tim shook his head. "We can't. For all we know, they're already up there. If they see us, there's no telling what they'll do."

"But they might not be up there. And even if they are, can't we just take them by the element of surprise?" Ziva was anxious to move on this. The longer they stayed stagnant, doing nothing, the worse Gibbs' and Tony's chances were.

"I've got a satellite picture," Tim said as he zoomed in on the property. "There's a farmhouse and an old barn."

Ziva leaned over McGee's shoulder to look at the picture on his screen. "That is a perfect setup for an ambush. We will not be able to drive right up to it. They would see us long before we arrived."

"Yeah, we'd be sitting ducks," McGee agreed. "We're going to have to get a team together to go with us. There are a lot of woods surrounding the farm which is in our favor. We'll park some distance away and hike in."

"And I will accompany you as well."

Ziva and McGee turned their heads in the direction of Ducky's voice. "I don't think that's a really good idea, Ducky," McGee said as he met the older gentleman's gaze. "There could be some rough terrain, not to mention we don't know what kind of danger we're walking into."

"You're not implying that I'm incapable of doing a bit of hiking in the woods, Timothy, are you?" Ducky asked.

"N...no...no of course not," Tim stammered, "Its just that..."

Because, that would be a gross miscalculation on your part."

"But, Ducky..."

"Timothy, you saw Anthony's condition on that surveillance footage," Ducky stated. "The sooner he gets some form of medical attention, the better off he will be."

Tim nodded. That was a valid point he couldn't argue with. Tony definitely needed help. Tim didn't want to be responsible for Tony not getting it as quickly as he could. "Fine, Ducky. Just be careful and you're going to have to follow orders out there."

"I will be your most faithful follower, my boy," Ducky said with a satisfied smile. Not only was he worried about Anthony, but Jethro as well. He was eager to get to their sides and offer what help he could.

*****

Gibbs sighed as he pulled Tony into his arms. He was shivering again. Gibbs cursed himself for not having thought to bring the blanket from the cabin. Tony had been so hot that it hadn't even entered his mind. God only knew where they were being brought to now. Tony moaned softly as the van hit another bump. Sam was driving and Gibbs swore the man was deliberately hitting them just to stick it to Tony a little more. "It's okay, Tony," he said softly.

"So cold, boss," Tony murmured. He broke into another fit of coughing and wrapped his arms around his ribs to guard against the pain shooting through them.

"I know you are...I'm sorry I didn't bring the blanket."

"It's okay." Tony tried to keep his teeth from chattering and burrowed himself tighter against Gibbs. He no longer had any qualms about doing so. If he had ever had any doubts about how Gibbs felt about him, they had been cast aside over the past couple of days. It was obvious the man cared for him very much. For Tony, Gibbs was the father he had never had. His eyes closed and he had just about fallen asleep again wen the van came to a screeching halt. Gibbs instinctively tightened his arms around Tony, keeping the younger man from being thrown.

After less than a minute, the doors to the van were thrown open and Sam stuck his smirking face inside. "Here we are boys...Your final destination. Do you need help with pretty boy?" he asked Gibbs.

"No, we're fine," Gibbs replied testily. He helped Tony slide across the floor to the edge of the van.

"I...I can walk, boss," Tony said.

"You sure?" Gibbs eyed the young man skeptically. He just looked so ill and his exhaustion was very apparent.

Tony nodded and covered his mouth as he was once again overcome with harsh coughing. "I...I'm sure, boss." He struggled to catch his breath as the coughing ended.

"Let's go," Sheldon ordered. He had been silently observing the interplay between the two agents. At this point, he was very ready for all of this to just be over. Although DiNozzo had irritated him at the beginning, he bore no real ill will against the men they were holding hostage and did not plan to harm them. All he wanted was to get out of Dodge with the money.

Gibbs supported Tony as they walked towards an old farmhouse. He scanned the area with his eyes, trying to glean as much information as he could, but was distracted as Tony stumbled and Gibbs moved to keep the agent on his feet. "I've got ya, DiNozzo."

Tony slumped hard against Gibbs, fast losing his strength. He was just about dead on his feet by the time they entered the farmhouse.

"Get over there against the wall." Sheldon pointed to the part of the room where he wanted the agents to go.

Gibbs half dragged, half carried Tony for the final few feet. "You did good, DiNozzo. I'm proud of you," Gibbs said as he leaned Tony against the wall and the younger man slid bonelessly to the floor. Gibbs sat down next to him and watched as Sheldon approached, carrying the handcuffs once again. Sheldon then bent down and cuffed Tony's wrist to the bottom to the radiator next to him.

"Why are you doing that?" Gibbs asked peevishly. "He isn't going anywhere."

"And I'm just making sure you stay put as well," Sheldon replied. He had seen the way Gibbs watched over DiNozzo, like a mama bear protecting her cub. He knew there was no way Gibbs would try to escape if he had to leave DiNozzo behind. He preferred to leave Gibbs with his hands free so that he was able to tend to DiNozzo. For the most part, the older agent was able to keep DiNozzo calm and that was what Sheldon needed, now that things were coming to a head

"It's not like I can go running off with him as sick as he is," Gibbs mumbled under his breath. Gibbs supposed he should be grateful that Sheldon hadn't cuffed him as well, but it still irked him to see Tony cuffed, even though the younger agent didn't seem to have noticed. His eyes were closed and he looked pretty out of it again.

Sheldon easily overheard what Gibbs said, but decided to pretend he hadn't. Instead, he walked over to where Pete was keeping watch by the front window. He needed to tell him about the reduction in ransom. Hopefully, he would take the news better than Sam had,

"Tony? Can you hear me?" Gibbs whispered. Tony didn't respond and Gibbs knew he was asleep. He didn't try to rouse him. He knew that sleep was the best thing for him right now, until he was able to get to a hospital.

*****

Sam shook his head in disgust as Sheldon cuffed DiNozzo to the radiator, leaving Gibbs free. If it was up to him, they'd both be bound so tightly, neither would be able to move a muscle. Sheldon wasn't what Sam had thought he was when he had at first formulated his plan to hold DiNozzo for ransom. Sam had admired the idea and thought Sheldon had balls to double cross Bellingham, but the more he saw him in action, the more he was of the opinion that he was an oversized pansy. The only reason he had even shot Bellingham was to prevent him from killing DiNozzo. Sam was also still furious about the ransom. Sheldon had informed him during the drive that DiNozzo Sr. had only come up with six million... a far cry from the 15 million they thought they were getting. From what he gathered, Sheldon had just accepted what DiNozzo Sr. said on face value. He hadn't even tried to call what might have been a bluff. The dumb ox probably could have gotten more and didn't even know it.

He looked around the farmhouse and was not impressed with what he saw. It was pretty much a dump. What furniture he saw was in shambles. Crumpled up pieces of paper littered the floor along with cigarette butts and other assorted trash. He wandered into the kitchen and just saw more of the same. He couldn't help wondering how Sheldon had even discovered this place. He was just about to head back into the living room when something in a corner of the kitchen caught his attention. When he saw what it was, he smiled with malicious glee. Contrary to Sheldon's wishes, he fully intended to blow DiNozzo and Gibbs away before this whole thing was over. He had figured on shooting DiNozzo execution style in front of Gibbs and then shooting Gibbs as well. This could be better though. He picked up the can, just to make sure it was full and nodded in satisfaction when he discovered that it was. Kerosene...the perfect ingredient to allow the two agents to leave this world in a spectacular blaze of glory...


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: This chapter was difficult to write, and probably has some plot holes, especially involving timing of what happens. Its fiction though so hopefully it works out okay. As always, thanks so much for the reviews - So great for boosting confidence when I hit rough patches and I appreciate each one more than I can say :)**

*****

Anthony DiNozzo, Sr. nervously checked his rear view mirror as he drove the winding roads that led to the old farmhouse. The road he was driving was seemingly deserted. He hadn't seen anyone else driving in quite some time. The NCIS team was likely already in place in the wooded area by the farmhouse. Agent McGee had made it sound very simple, but they all knew it was anything but that. He was just to follow the instructions of the kidnapper. McGee and the team would make their move when McGee felt it was appropriate to do so. He finally reached the farmhouse and pulled his car up in front. The money was in a briefcase beside him on the passenger's seat. He picked it up, got out of the car and waited for someone to come out of the house, hopefully with his son.

*****

Sheldon smiled as he saw the car pull up in front of the farmhouse and DiNozzo Sr. get out of it. "Time to get this show on the road," he said. "When I get back here with the money, we'll split it up and get the hell out of here. DiNozzo can reunite with his kid and everybody's happy. You keep an eye on these two. I shouldn't be long." Not noticing Sam's look of disdain, Sheldon headed outside.

"Mr. DiNozzo," Sheldon greeted as he walked toward DiNozzo Sr. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you.

"Where's my son?" DiNozzo Sr. asked, not bothering with preliminaries. "I want to see him now."

"All in good time. He's inside the house." His eyes greedily went to the briefcase. "That's the money?"

"Yes," DiNozzo Sr. nodded.

"Well, please don't take it personally if I don't trust you, but I would like you to open the briefcase. I want to see for myself."

"Then you'll take me to my son?"

"Yeah, yeah," Sheldon said impatiently, licking his lips in anticipation. "Come on, open it."

The briefcase was opened and Sheldon's eyes lit up as he looked at the neatly bundled stacks of green. So intent was he on looking at the money, that he never even noticed the female agent until her gun was pressed up against his back. "Do not say a word," Ziva instructed. "Throw your weapon down, now."

*****

"Cover me," Sam directed Pete the minute Sheldon had walked out the door. "If Gibbs tries anything, you blow DiNozzo away."

Gibbs could only watch helplessly as Sam approached him and Pete kept his gun aimed at Tony's head.

"I bet this is making you crazy, isn't it, big man?" Sam pulled a set of handcuffs out of his jacket pocket and shoved Gibbs forward roughly, cuffing his wrists behind his back. "Knowing I can do whatever I want to your little buddy and you can't do a damn thing about it."

"I know that if you touch a hair on his head, I'll make you pay," Gibbs replied calmly. "There won't be a place far enough away for you to run where I won't find you."

Sam gave a mock shudder. "Ooooh I'm so frightened, Agent Gibbs." He scornfully rapped the top of Tony's head and grinned at Gibbs. "There, I touched him. I won't be holding my breath waiting for you to hunt me down though."

Thinking Gibbs had hit him, the sharp rap to his head roused Tony. "What'd I do, boss?" he mumbled, still half asleep.

"You didn't do anything, Tony," Gibbs said softly. "Go back to sleep."

"Kay..." DiNozzo obediently nodded and his eyes slid shut once again.

"No. I want him awake." Sam hit DiNozzo again, harder this time. The agent whimpered as the painful hit startled him into full awareness.

"Leave him alone," Gibbs growled, incensed that he could do nothing to stop this guy who obviously had more than one screw loose.

"Or what?" Sam sneered.

"Are you really so pathetic that you need to pick on someone who's been poisoned, handcuffed and has no way to defend himself?" Gibbs asked, shaking his head in disgust. "You probably bullied little girls in the schoolyard when you were a kid."

"You comparing your agent to a little girl?" Sam laughed. "Anyhow, so what if I did?" He shrugged carelessly. "I'm sure they grew up to be bitches."

This guy was a real piece of work. "Why don't you take on someone who can actually challenge you?" Gibbs asked. He was dying to get his hands on him. "Get these cuffs off me and let's go."

"I don't think so, Gibbs," Sam replied with a snicker. "I'm a lot of things, but stupid is not one of them." Realizing that time was growing short, Sam turned his attention away from Gibbs and headed into the kitchen, returning only moments later with the container of kerosene.

"What are you doing, Sam?" Pete watched in bewilderment as Sam started to pour the kerosene onto the floor near the front door.

"Just taking care of business, Petey boy," Sam replied with a glint in his eye as he slowly moved around the room, strategically splashing the liquid. "You might want to think about getting out of here pretty quick."

"B...but why? Sheldon didn't say anything about this."

Sam's eyes darkened dangerously. "Who died and made Sheldon boss?"

"This was all his idea. He..."

"I don't care whose idea it was. He's fucked everything up royally."

But Sam...these guys didn't do anything...they can't hurt us."

"No, but I can hurt them."

Gibbs was sick with horror at what Sam had planned for them. "What the hell...you're going to burn us alive? Why? That doesn't even make any sense."

"It makes perfect sense to me and that's all that really matters." Sam stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out a book of matches before turning towards Gibbs. "You've got a decision to make, Agent Gibbs. With your hands cuffed, it's impossible for you to help your friend, but I'm not going to stop you from leaving here. So you can choose to save yourself or you can stay here and die with Agent DiNozzo."

"Uncuff him." Gibbs' voice was harsh, but there was desperation in his eyes. "Damn it. Let him go!"

"No can do, Agent Gibbs. Last chance, Pete, unless you want to stay here and fry along with them." He backed up towards the kitchen where the back door was located and struck a match against the matchbook. Pete hurried after him, casting a brief look of apology at the two men they were leaving behind. He felt bad about the agents, but not bad enough to risk his own neck for them.

"See you in hell someday." Smiling evilly, Sam dropped the lit match onto the kerosene-soaked floor, watching as the flames began to erupt. He gave a mock salute to Gibbs, then turned and fled with Pete on his heels.

"You've got to get out of here." Tony tried to hide the panic he was feeling. He didn't want to die alone in a flaming death trap, but he sure as hell didn't want Gibbs going along with him if it could be avoided.

"I'm not leaving you behind, DiNozzo," Gibbs said as he managed to get to his feet.

"Please, boss," Tony pleaded. "Think of Abby. She'll be devastated. You can't do this to her." Gibbs ignored his agent as he searched frantically for a solution to their predicament. All he could see though were the flames which were beginning to spread.

Tony started to choke on the fumes and thickening smoke which was already affecting his weakened lungs. "Boss, get the hell out of here," he gasped.

"I'm going into the kitchen to see if there's something you can use to cut through the chain on those cuffs."

"There's no time...please just go!" Tony said breathlessly, watching until Gibbs disappeared from sight. They were separated now, just like in his nightmare. He knew that he would never see Gibbs again. He started coughing again and buried his face into the arm of his jacket. His chest hurt and he was having a difficult time breathing. His only consolation was he was pretty sure he would lose consciousness before the flames got to him. He really didn't want to feel the pain of burning to death. He just prayed Gibbs would get out before it was too late.

*****

Sam laughed giddily as he and Pete made their way out of the farmhouse. He couldn't remember when he had had so much fun. He only wished there was a way to watch the torment first-hand without being burned himself.

"NCIS! Throw your weapons on the ground and put your hands behind your heads."

"Shit," Sam muttered as he did as he was ordered. Just when everything was perfect, this had to happen...story of his life...this really sucked.

McGee and Ziva approached the two men and Ziva bent down to retrieve their discarded weapons from the ground.

"Listen!" Pete blurted out as his hands were cuffed behind him. "He set the place on fire. You'd better get those guys out of there quick or they're both goners."

"You jackass!" Sam yelled furiously. "Why did you open up your big mouth?"

"You're the jackass," Pete retorted. "Maybe if you had been keeping a lookout instead of torching the place, we could have gotten away."

"You are both jackasses," Ziva said coldly as she cuffed Sam, taking pleasure in fastening the cuffs as tightly as they could.

McGee looked towards the house and saw the wisps of smoke coming out from the open door. "Ziva, call for help!" Without hesitation, he ran into the house, almost colliding with Gibbs who was in the kitchen, red-eyed and coughing from the smoke.

"McGee!" Gibbs was so happy to see the young agent he could have kissed him. "Get Tony! He's cuffed to a radiator in the living room. Hurry!"

"I'll get him, boss. You need to get out of here."

Knowing there was nothing he could do to help, Gibbs nodded and headed out of the house. Once he got outside, he sank onto the ground in exhaustion, taking in huge gulps of fresh air as he waited anxiously for his agents to emerge from the burning farmhouse.

As Gibbs exited the house, McGee entered the living room in search of Tony. He covered his nose and mouth with his arm, trying to protect himself from the smoke and blistering heat. He could hardly see anything through the thick smoke, but finally made out Tony's form, slumped unconscious against the wall. "Tony!" Barely managing to avoid the flames, Tim made his way to Tony's side. Knowing he had no time to lose, he grabbed his gun and easily shot through the chain of the handcuffs, freeing the agent. "Come on, let's get you out of here, Tony." He hoisted Tony's dead weight into his arms and at first turned towards the front door, but it was totally blocked off by flames. He then went back the way he had come in. The flames were seemingly everywhere. For a moment, he thought they were trapped, but he finally was able to find his way out of the fiery blaze.

"Tony!" Ziva ran to Tim and helped him lower Tony to the ground beside Gibbs. Tim was coughing violently, but Tony lay perfectly still. "He is not breathing," Ziva stated and she immediately began to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

_Tony hovered somewhere between two worlds, watching the scene below him. It was pretty cool actually, almost like watching himself and his friends as the stars of a real life movie. Gibbs had gotten out of the house safely and that just meant the world to him. After everything the man had done for him over the past few days, Tony was just so relieved that he was safe. And he had to give props to Probie...he had really outdone himself, risking his life by running into the burning house to try to save him. He was especially glad he'd gotten him out before he had burned to a crisp. There was Ziva, right by his side, frantically trying to revive him. It was clear how much they all cared for him, and he would miss them like crazy, but he didn't think he would be returning. He had never felt like this before...well and strong with an amazing sense of peace and tranquility...no more pain...no more worries...this was where he wanted to be... _

**AN2: I know... I know :) I'm sorry...I guess I'm kind of evil leaving it like that, but it was a good stopping point for this chapter. I actually never expected it to go there - it just kind of happened that way. **


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: Here's the next chapter. Wanted to get it out quickly after the last chapter's cliffhanger ending. Thank you all so much for all the wonderful reviews - they mean so much to me. Small spoilers for Twilight in this one. Enjoy everyone and thanks again for reading :)**

_*****_

_Tony...Tony...TONY!"_

_He recognized the all too familiar voice and turned around slowly, his eyes lighting up with delight when he saw her. "Kate! Its so good to see you. You...you look great...I mean...um..." he trailed off and just stared back at her, wondering what the etiquette was for talking to ghosts or angels or whatever she was. His thoughts drifted back to that fateful day ending tragically with her death on a rooftop. "So...I guess I'm dead?"_

_"No Tony you're not dead," she said, annoyance evident in her tone._

_"Geesh, Kate. Aren't you even the tiniest bit happy to see me?" Tony asked. "Why are you always so mad at me anyhow, even after all this time?"_

_Kate sighed softly and her expression softened. "I am happy to see you, Tony. Its just that I'm frustrated because you're not supposed to be here."_

_Tony rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Not my fault, Kate. Contrary to whatever you think, I didn't ask to come here."_

_"I know that, Tony, but you're not fighting very hard to leave either."_

_"I..." He dropped his eyes, guilt written all over his face, then he decided to throw it back at Kate. "Well...what about you? You didn't come back either."_

_"Oh my god, Tony! I was dead. You were there. Its not like I had a choice."_

_"Well, excuse me, Kate for not exactly knowing how things work up here."_

_They were both silent for a few moments then Kate finally made the first move, tentatively wrapping her arms around him. "I'm sorry, Tony. It really is good to see you."_

_He returned her embrace and it was almost like she had never been killed. He closed his eyes, just relishing the moment. "I'm sorry too, Kate," he murmured._

_"What are you sorry for?" she pulled away, genuinely confused as she looked up at him. "Tony? What?"_

_"That day...it shouldn't have happened like that..."_

_"Oh Tony, there wasn't anything you could have done. You can't possibly feel guilty about that. It was nobody's fault. If it had to be anyone's fault it would be mine. I had the chance to kill Ari and I didn't take it."_

_He shook his head, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with sadness. "Not your fault, Kate."_

_This wasn't going the way it was supposed to be. Kate watched him for a bit, realizing that he was not the same man he had been five years ago. She didn't know how to help him, but she did know who could..._

_*****_

_One minute Kate was there, the next minute she was gone. "Not funny, Kate," Tony shouted out. She didn't answer him though. "She could have said goodbye." Feeling more than a little bit sorry for himself, he sat down on a bench that he didn't remember being there a few minutes before. This place was just weird._

_"Is this seat taken?"_

_He held his breath for a moment, almost afraid to turn his head. When he did, his eyes immediately filled with tears. "Mama?" His voice broke and he found himself wrapped in her arms just like when he had been a sick little boy. "I missed you so much."_

_"I missed you too, bambino...more than you ever could have imagined. They hugged for a few long moments and then Caterina DiNozzo pulled back. "Let me look at you, Anthony," she said, her voice soft and lilting. "My...you are very handsome, my son." She brushed her hand back tenderly through his hair._

_"And you look beautiful, mama," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "Just the same as when I was a boy." _

_"So Anthony...you've been going through a very rough time, yes?"_

_Tony shrugged. "I guess, but I don't really want to talk about that."_

_"I'm sorry, darling, but our time together is growing short and we must talk about it."_

_"What do you mean? Can't I just stay here with you?"_

_Caterina stared into her son's eyes as if mesmerized. She would like nothing better than for him to stay there with her, but he needed to do what was right for him. "Why would you want to do that? Do you not have a family that loves you very much?"_

_"You mean dad?" Tony hesitated then shook his head. "I don't know if he has ever really loved me..."_

_"Your father is a very complicated man, Anthony," Caterina stated, neither denying or confirming Tony's statement. "But he is not who I am speaking of. I am speaking of your boss, Jethro Gibbs."_

_"Oh..."_

_"This man loves you. Surely you must see that."_

_Tony nodded. "Yes...I know," he admitted quietly._

_"Then why on earth would you hurt him like that?"_

_"I don't want to hurt him," Tony protested. "That's exactly why I shouldn't go back. I don't want him to be hurt because of me."_

_"I don't understand."_

_"He...he wants to protect me too much, mama...I don't want that.."_

_"He would lay down his life for anyone on your team, would he not?"_

_"Yes...I can't explain this...let's just drop it, okay?"_

_"Oh, Anthony...this man loves you like a son. Do not run away from him."_

_"I'm not." He shook his head stubbornly. _

_"You are. And if you do not think this will hurt him in the very worst way possible, you are only fooling yourself. You were only brought into this situation because of someone seeking revenge against Gibbs. If you die, he will blame himself. Is that what you want?" Caterina's green eyes were intense as she gazed at her son._

_"No..." he whispered._

_"Then you need to go back to him, Anthony...Go back to your father..."_

_Tony gave his mother a startled look and she laughed lightly. "Don't look so surprised. I have been keeping an eye on you over the years."_

_"But...don't you mind?" he asked guiltily._

_"How could I mind?" she asked as she gently stroked Tony's cheek with her hand. "A mother wants her children to be protected and loved. I can't think of a better man than Leroy Jethro Gibbs to be watching over you. Though I would not mind if he was to lighten up on the head slaps."_

_"I guess you have been watching," Tony said with a chuckle._

_"Indeed I have...and I will continue to do so. Now, darling...I'm afraid it is time for you to go back." _

_"Can't I stay with you just a little bit longer?" he asked, his sad eyes mirroring her own. "Please?"_

_"I'm sorry, bambino. It is not my decision to make. I love you so much, Anthony. Be well and happy, my beautiful boy." A few stray teardrops fell from her eyes as she kissed Tony's cheeks . "Until we meet again, my son..."_

_"Mama...don't leave me," he pleaded as he started to grow woozy. His breathing was growing labored again and the pain in hs chest had returned. "Please stay with me..."_

_*****_

Tony took a gasping breath and Ziva backed away from him. "He is breathing," she said unnecessarily to the small group surrounding them.

"He's really struggling though," Gibbs observed. The younger man's attempts at getting air into his lungs were obviously tortured. Finally having been released from the handcuffs, Gibbs was clutching Tony's hand tightly. "You hang in there, Tony. Do you hear me? Fight this. I know you can."

Ducky pushed his way through and settled himself beside Tony as he opened up his medical bag and pulled out his stethoscope. "Not feeling very well, are you my dear boy." His concern was evident as he took in Tony's blue-tinged lips, feverish appearance and harsh breathing. He glanced over at his long-time friend. "Its good to see you, Jethro, how are you doing?" he asked as he unzippered Tony's jacket.

"I'm fine, Duck. Its Tony I'm worried about. He's been put through hell."

"We'll get him through this, Jethro. Timothy, can you sit him up for me please?"

"Sure, Ducky." Tim got behind Tony and sat him up so that he was leaning against his chest.

"There, that's better, isn't it, Anthony," Ducky soothed as he began to listen to Tony's lungs. As he had expected, Tony's lungs did not sound good, filled with harsh breath sounds, crackles and gurgles.

"Duck?" Gibbs made no attempt to hide his anxiety.

"The paramedics should be here any moment, Jethro. They will take good care of him."

"I know that, Ducky," Gibbs said impatiently. "But what do you think?"

"Its hard to say right now," Ducky admitted. "I have no idea what the drugs might have done to his system, Jethro. All I can tell you right now is that he's very sick and has a long road ahead of him.

"He has to make it, Ducky...he just has to..." Finally, the sirens could be heard in the background. "Help is coming, Tony," Gibbs said softly. "Just a few more minutes."

*****

Anthony DiNozzo, Sr. stood in the background, watching as the paramedics worked on his son. Gibbs had never left Tony's side and he was becoming increasingly resentful of that. He was Tony's father but nobody seemed to care. He had basically been ignored since Tony had been rescued from the house. It was almost like he wasn't there at all and he did not like that feeling one bit. He was the one who had gotten the money for Tony's ransom, but everyone seemed to have forgotten about that.

The paramedics were finally ready to transfer Tony to the hospital. He watched as they loaded him into the ambulance along with Gibbs. "I am your father, Anthony, not Gibbs" he muttered to himself as he headed to his car so he could get to the hospital as well.


	15. Chapter 15

AN: Here's the next chapter. I apologize in advance for any medical stuff that might not be quite right. As always, thank you all so much for the reviews. I appreciate each and every one of them.

Special thanks to: WCUGirl, Sparkiebunny, ncismom, vanishingp2000, Graphicmaker1, pandi19, diana teo, FDDBonney, carismum Tiffany331, murraysmom, combatcrazy, Gaddkzmp, Gloworm41, BleakRememberance, Stroma, and all of you who have reviewed previous chapters. Love you guys!

*****

"I'm not staying here. Just get me whatever forms I need to sign so that I can leave." Gibbs was adamant as he faced off against the doctor and his long-time friend.

"Jethro, you are being ridiculous," Ducky stated, frustrated at Gibbs' seeming inability to be able to do what was best for him.

"I'm only talking overnight, Agent Gibbs," Dr. Gil Patterson was trying hard to get the stubborn man to agree to be admitted. "It'll be over before you know it."

"It's over now because I'm not staying," Gibbs insisted. He turned his head towards Ducky. "Duck? Tony?"

"The doctors are still examining him. They'll let us know when there is something to report."

Gibbs nodded. "What about Tim? Is he okay?"

"He's being treated for some minor burns, but he'll be fine."

Listening to the conversation taking place had helped Dr. Patterson establish that Agent Gibbs was far more worried about his men than himself. "Agent Gibbs, I'll make you a deal," he began. "If you'll agree to letting me give you some IV fluids, I won't force the issue of you being admitted. You're going to be here waiting for word on Agent DiNozzo anyhow, right? I think that's a fair compromise."

Gibbs hesitated, giving Ducky the opportunity to break in. "That's more than fair, Doctor. Jethro accepts your deal."

"Thank you, Dr. Mallard," Dr. Patterson said with a slight smirk. "I'll go make the arrangements." He then high-tailed it out of the room before Gibbs could offer any more protests.

"Ducky..."

"I don't want to hear another word about it, Jethro," Ducky said. "You've been held hostage for days with next to nothing to eat or drink and you're exhausted. Now stop being so damn pig-headed."

"Okay, Duck." Gibbs gave a resigned smile. Truth be told, he was pretty wiped out, but he was just so worried about DiNozzo that he hadn't really given it much thought.

Pleased, Ducky returned Gibbs' smile. He had expected more of a fight and was glad to see his friend displaying at least a little bit of common sense. "You'll be feeling better before you know it."

"Yeah, I know." Gibbs leaned back against the bed which had been raised into a sitting position. "But will Tony be feeling better?"

"He's a strong lad, Jethro. He'll fight his way back."

"Will he?" The events of the past few days were finally beginning to take their toll and Gibbs couldn't stave off the doubts that were forming in his mind. "Damn it, Ducky. He was hurting so much. You have no idea what he's gone through."

"But I do know, Jethro," Ducky began hesitantly. "We saw the surveillance tape...we saw what happened to him…"

"I couldn't protect him, Duck...he was just so sick and defenseless and I couldn't do a damn thing for him."

"That's not true." Ducky was doing his best to calm Gibbs down. "You were there for him. We saw how you took care of him, comforted him. You did everything you possibly could have done under the circumstances. He's lucky you were with him."

"But it still wasn't enough..." Gibbs reached up and lightly began to massage his temples. He could feel the beginning of a headache coming on. "And he shouldn't have been there in the first place."

"This was not your fault...you can't blame yourself."

A part of Gibbs knew that Ducky was right, that he had done everything in his power for his agent. But, the other part of him felt an almost overwhelming sense of guilt. He still couldn't get past the fact that Tony was in this predicament because of him.

*****

"Timmy!" Abby got up from the hard plastic chair and flung herself into McGee's arms as he emerged from the ER treatment area. "Are you alright? What did the doctor say?"

"I'm fine, Abby, just got some minor burns." He raised his right hand which was swathed in bandages. "I'll be good as new before you know it."

'"Oh, poor Timmy." She tenderly took his bandaged hand and raised it to her lips, kissing it lightly, then led him over to the waiting area.

"So, how are Tony and Gibbs? Have you heard anything?" Tim asked as he took a seat.

"Gibbs is doing fine," Abby replied as she settled herself next to McGee. "Ducky is with him. They're giving him some IV fluids before releasing him."

"What about Tony?"

"We haven't heard anything yet. They're running a bunch of tests." She leaned her head on Tim's shoulder. "So how does it feel?" she asked after a few moments of companionable silence.

"Not too bad," Tim answered. "They gave me something for the pain."

"Not your hand, Tim." Abby raised her head and looked at him intently. "How does it feel to be a real live hero?"

"What?" Tim could feel the heat rising to his cheeks and he grew uncomfortable under Abby's gaze. "I'm not a hero, Abby. It was no big deal."

"Yes it was a big deal and you are a hero. Ziva told me what you did, how you ran into that burning house and carried Tony out of there. If you hadn't done that…Tony would have died. You saved his life."

"I just hope he's going to be alright." He felt ill at ease being described as a hero. He had just done what he had to do. He draped his arm around Abby as she settled her head on his shoulder once again.

"Tony will be fine," Abby stated, a note of certainty in her voice. "He has to be."

*****

Ziva wandered aimlessly through the hospital corridors. She had been sitting with Abby for a while, but had really needed to just get up and walk. Sitting and waiting patiently were not her strong points. She ultimately found herself in the hospital cafeteria and stopped to look at the display of puddings, pies, cakes and other little treats. Tony would love these. She would have to bring him some when he was feeling better…if he got better…

Her mind drifted back to when she had first spotted McGee carrying Tony from the house. He had looked so vulnerable…and then when she realized he was not breathing…she had truly thought he was going to die…

"Miss? Excuse me, Miss? Are you alright?" Startled back into the present, Ziva saw a woman looking at her with concern in her eyes.

"Yes…yes, I'm fine, thank you." Feeling the wetness on her cheeks, Ziva hastily brushed away the tears and made her way out of the cafeteria, ignoring the curious look the woman gave her. She needed to get back to the waiting room. Hopefully, they would get news on Tony soon and the news would be good.

*****

Anthony DiNozzo Sr. hovered outside of the room where the doctors had been examining his son for what seemed to be an endless amount of time. He took a sip of coffee, which was now ice cold, and crinkled his mouth in distaste, then tossed the offending drink into a nearby wastebasket. Finally, a pair of doctors exited the room. DiNozzo Sr. hurried over to them. "How is he?" he asked.

One of the doctors headed off while the other one gave him a questioning look. "I'm sorry, I need to find Agent Gibbs. He's listed as the patient's next of kin. And you are?"

"I'm his father," DiNozzo Sr. retorted, the anger evident in his voice.

"I'm right here, Dr. Kennedy," Gibbs said, coming up alongside DiNozzo Sr. "It's okay for Mr. DiNozzo to listen in."

DiNozzo Sr. bristled at the audacity of it all. Who the hell was Gibbs to be giving him permission to get information about his own son?

"How is Tony?" Gibbs asked.

"He's pretty sick, but he's holding his own, right now." Dr. Kennedy replied. "He has a nasty case of double pneumonia and he's severely dehydrated. We've started him on O2, IV hydration and an aggressive course of antibiotics. I've consulted with Dr. Brad Pitt who sent over his records. We're going to be moving him to the Pulmonary Care Unit very soon."

"What about the drugs he was injected with?" Gibbs asked.

Dr. Kennedy shook his head. "The preliminary tox screen was negative. It didn't show anything."

"Nothing?" Gibbs asked with concern. "He got pretty sick after he was injected."

"That could well be true, but whatever it was just isn't showing up in his system," Dr. Kennedy said.

"So we don't really know what kind of damage was done…" Gibbs stated.

"Hopefully, it was all short-term," Dr. Kennedy replied. "We'll run some tests and see what we can find out, but for now, there's no use borrowing trouble. We'll get him upstairs and see how he does."

Gibbs nodded. "Okay. I'm going to let the rest of his team know what's going on and then I'll head up to the PCU. He should be there soon?"

"Yes," said Dr. Kennedy. "It shouldn't be very long at all, just waiting for transport." He looked over at DiNozzo Sr. "Do you have any questions, Mr. DiNozzo?"

DiNozzo Sr. shook his head. He was pretty pissed off about the way things were going so far, but he couldn't really blame the doctor. "No thanks, I think that's all for now."

His eyes followed Gibbs who was already heading off towards the waiting area. He had a feeling he would be seeing a lot of that man, whether he liked it or not.

*****

Slowly, Tony started to regain consciousness. The first thing that registered in his mind was a constant beeping sound and the familiar sterile smell that was unique to hospitals. He could feel something over his face and reached for it, but a hand came over his and gently pulled it away.

"Just leave that there, Tony. It's oxygen. It's helping you to breathe easier." Gibbs' voice. Gibbs' hand still clasped over his own was comforting somehow. Content to stay in this half dreamlike state, he was about to drop off again when he heard it…the voice that definitely did not belong with this picture…at least it never had in the past…

"I'm right here with you, son…everything is going to be alright."

He could feel his heartbeat quicken and heard the beeps in the background speed up as well. He felt Gibbs' hand squeeze his own reassuringly. "You're okay. Tony…I'm not leaving you…"

Okay. That was good. Gibbs wasn't going anywhere. Gibbs would keep him safe…but keep him safe from what? Confused, he tried to remember, but everything was muddled and he was just so tired. He thought his mother had been there too, but that didn't make any sense, did it? His mother had died, hadn't she? The pull to drift back to sleep was too strong to resist and hearing Gibbs' voice telling him to rest was the last thing he heard before sleep claimed him once again.

*****

"He's asleep." Gibbs was relieved as the younger man's breathing evened out and he knew Tony was getting the rest he so desperately needed.

DiNozzo Sr. was about to ask how he knew that, but he didn't want to give Gibbs the satisfaction so he remained silent. As far as he knew, nothing had changed. Tony had reached for the oxygen mask, but that was it. He hadn't even opened his eyes. Gibbs' presence was irking him. He wished he would leave. He resented the easy familiarity the other man had with his son. "You must be exhausted from your ordeal. You should go home and get some rest." He tried to make his voice sound concerned, but it didn't ring true…not even to himself.

"I'm staying here with him. I always do…"

"What's that supposed to mean? "

Gibbs shrugged as he methodically rubbed the top of Tony's hand. "Doesn't mean anything," he replied.

DiNozzo Sr. could feel his anger beginning to rise. "It's not like anyone has told me when he's been sick or hurt."

"We tried to contact you. You were always unreachable."

"That is bullshit. You're supposed to be investigators. You could have found me if you had really wanted to."

"We're not going to do this now…not in front of him." Gibbs kept his voice calm and soft, barely above a whisper. His attention was focused on Tony, making sure he saw no signs of him awakening. He was not going to let his father upset him, not after everything he had been through.

"Who are you to give me orders?" DiNozzo Sr.'s voice rose to match his temper. "I'm not one of your agents."

Gibbs' eyes were like ice as he glared back at him. "Your son has been through sheer hell the past few days," he whispered fiercely. "Do you really want to upset him right now?"

DiNozzo Sr.'s anger deflated as quickly as it had risen. His eyes went to his son lying in the hospital bed looking more fragile than he had ever remembered and he shook his head. "No…no, I don't want that," he admitted.

"Good." Gibbs gaze was steady as he looked back at the man who had fathered his senior agent. As much as he didn't trust him, he was Tony's father and for the time being he needed to try to get along with him. He would do whatever he had to in order to make Tony's recovery as easy as possible.


	16. Chapter 16

******AN: Here's the next chapter. I have a really bad headache so if it doesn't make sense, I can blame it on that ;) I was going to start to wrap it up, but then decided to throw in one more twist - hope it's not too over the top. In any case, when I first started this, I thought it was only going to be a few chapters long. Who knew it would turn out like this. This is such a great fanfiction atmosphere. I'm so glad I discovered this show and started writing again. **

******Thanks so much for the reviews and alerts. Special thanks to: Sparkiebunny, WCUGirl, vanishingp2000, Graphicmaker1, pandi19, carismum, diana teo, NickTonyK, jgomez921, Stroma, Nikadex, Tiffany331, Gaddkmzp, sarahsrr, krynnalexia, ncismom and combatcrazy. Really appreciate all your reviews and support :)**

**xxxxx**

"Well, Mr. Donaldson...what do you think? This vacation home has everything to meet the requirements you mentioned on the phone." Lydia Humphrey tried to hide her excitement as she guided the older gentleman through the rooms of the beachfront property. It was off-season and business had not exactly been booming as of late. Surprisingly, Mr. Donaldson hadn't seemed the least bit put off by the amount it would cost to rent the property. The owner had even given permission to lower the price, but with any luck, she wasn't going to have to do that.

DiNozzo Sr. nodded in satisfaction. "It seems very suitable," he told the beaming realtor. "The perfect place for me to get away to work on my novel. I'll start with a one month rental and we'll take it from there. Is that okay?"

"Oh yes, that should work out just fine. Why don't I go get the paperwork and we'll have you ready to move in, in no time. I'll be right back." DiNozzo Sr. watched as Lydia headed out to the car and then he walked over to the living room window which overlooked the beach. This house had everything he was looking for and more. It had every comfort one could wish for, as well as privacy in a beautiful and peaceful setting. Best of all, it would get Tony away from Gibbs, at least temporarily. He was going to pay in cash and since he had not used his real name, he didn't think Gibbs would have a very easy time tracing ther whereabouts. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep Tony with him for all that long, but hopefully long enough to make some inroads in their relationship. Who knew what could come of this? Maybe he would be able to help Tony realize that his being an agent was not the right choice for him. If they were to work together, they could possibly get the family business running as successfully as it had in the past. Of course, it would all be entirely legitimate now. He was smart enough to know his son would stand for nothing less.

He smiled as Lydia re-entered the home with her briefcase. Everything was going according to plan. He just had to work out a few more details and he could get things underway.

**xxxxx**

Jethro was stretched out on the bed next to Tony's, trying to get some much needed rest. He had been informed by more than one of Tony's nurses that he was welcome to make use of it as long as it wasn't needed for another patient. As exhausted as he was though, he found sleep to be elusive. Part of the problem was that Tony was not sleeping well. His temperature had elevated and he had been moving about restlessly under the covers, coughing and mumbling incoherently. One small blessing was that Tony's father had left. He hadn't mentioned where he was going and Gibbs hadn't asked. He was just grateful that he was gone, at least for the time being. His eyes moved towards Tony who was engaged in a particularly harsh coughing fit. Gibbs got up from the bed and made his way to the younger man's side, sitting on the bed next to him and gently easing him up into a sitting position. "It's okay, Tony. I've got ya."

The coughing was causing Tony to gasp for breath in spite of the oxygen. "Just take slow, deep breaths," Gibbs directed. He could feel the agent shivering against him. "You cold, DiNozzo?"

"Lit...little bit, boss," he managed before breaking out into more coughing.

Gibbs reached for the call button and pressed it. He was surprised by how quickly he got a response. "What can I do for you?" a pretty, young nurse, whose nametag said Ann Marie, asked as she smiled at Gibbs. Most of the nurses had already taking a liking to him. They were impressed by his level of devotion to Tony and were all wondering what exactly the nature of their relationship was.

"I was wondering if he could get another blanket. He's freezing," Gibbs replied, his eyes and tone both making his concern apparent. "I also think his temperature might still be rising."

Ann Marie nodded. "I'll go get a blanket for him and come back to take his temperature. I'll only be a minute."

"Thanks." Gibbs watched as the nurse exited the room and turned his attention back to Tony whose coughing had quieted down. "You doing any better, DiNozzo?"

"I'm okay, boss," Tony replied automatically, barely able to keep his eyes open.

Gibbs shook his head, a faint smile on his lips. He was going to contradict DiNozzo, but considering how stubborn he, himself, had been earlier it would have been hypocritical.

Ann Marie came back into the room a few moments later. She draped a blanket over Tony and then placed a thermometer in his mouth. A few seconds later, it beeped and she read it and made a notation in Tony's chart. "It isn't any higher than it was earlier," she said with a reassuring smile at Gibbs who looked relieved at the news. "He's due for some more medicine soon which should help."

"Thanks very much." Gibbs smiled at the nurse who left the room and decided he would try to get some rest himself. Tony had drifted off again and appeared to be resting peacefully. With one last look at DiNozzo, making sure he was okay, Gibbs settled himself into the other bed and fell into a restful sleep.

**xxxxx**

Hello?" The unkempt, middle-aged, man picked up the phone and held it to his ear.

"Hello, is this Dr. O'Connell?"

"Yes, it is. Who's calling?" He rubbed his bleary eyes and looked at the clock on his bedside table. It had been a long time since anyone had addressed him as doctor. Of course, losing one's medical license tended to have that effect.

"I'm not sure if you remember me or not, my name is Anthony DNozzo. You used to do some work for some of my associates in the past. I have a job for you, if you have any way of getting away for a week or two."

Luke O'Connell listened to the other man's story and his eyes practically popped out of his head when he heard the amount he was going to be paid. He hadn't seen money like that in ages. He scribbled down the names of the drugs DiNozzo's kid was on. None of them would be too difficult to get. This sounded like an easy gig. Most of his tasks in past years had involved gunshot wounds and stabbings. This would be nothing more than a glorified baby-sitting job. "I'll call up an associate of mine to cover my caseload. He had to close his practice when his wife got sick last year so he'll be more than happy to do it." The lies easily rolled off his lips. He certainly didn't want DiNozzo to know he had lost his license due to his abuse of drugs and alcohol. This was the best opportunity he'd been offered in years. He didn't want to screw it up.

"I'll see you soon, Mr. DiNozzo." Luke hung up the phone and hastily began throwing some clothes into a duffel bag. None of them were exactly clean, but they would have to do until he had an opportunity to wash them. Hell, with the money he was going to be getting, he could buy a whole new wardrobe. Taking one last look around his apartment, he closed the door and headed to the airport where his ticket would be waiting for him - first class with all the perks. Luckily for him, DiNozzo certainly didn't seem to mind throwing the cash around.

An hour later, he was at the airport anxiously waiting to board the plane. He could hardly wait to meet his new patient.

**xxxxx**

DiNozzo Sr. hesitated in the doorway of his son's hospital room. Gibbs was still there, sitting right by Tony's side. He had to admit the guy certainly seemed to care about his son. For a moment he reconsidered what he was about to do. Maybe he shouldn't be taking Tony out of the hospital so soon, but if he waited until he was better and had regained his strength, he knew that Tony would never willingly go with him. No, this was the best way to handle things. Besides, he had a doctor. Nothing was going to go wrong. Taking a deep breath, he walked into the room. Gibbs looked up immediately, his eyes narrowing when he saw who it was.

"How's my boy doing?" DiNozzo Sr. asked, deliberately emphasizing the word 'my'.

"He's holding his own," Gibbs replied calmly, unwilling to let the man get a rise out of him.

"Good...good." DiNozzo Sr. walked over to Tony's bedside and looked down at his sleeping son. Tony's complexion was ashen and he really did not appear well. "He looks really pale," DiNozzo Sr. murmured, once again experiencing qualms, but he quickly shook them away. Gibbs needed to get himself a puppy or adopt a kid of his own. He couldn't have his son.

Gibbs looked up at DiNozzo Sr., surprised at the note of concern in the other man's voice. "He's been through a lot," Gibbs said. "But he's strong...he'll be okay..."

DiNozzo Sr. nodded, still staring down at his son, wondering how things had gone so wrong. "I know you don't think much of me, Agent Gibbs..." he began. "And I can't really blame you. I haven't always done right by Anthony, but I want to change that. He's my son, and whether or not you believe it...I really do love him..."

Gibbs examined DiNozzo Sr. closely, looking for signs that the man wasn't being honest, but he appeared to be sincere. "I believe you want to change things," he finally admitted quietly. The man did appear to be legitimately concerned about Tony and he had come up with the ransom money. "But that might not be as easy as you think." A lot of damage had been done and Gibbs was certain there was more that he didn't even know about. Tony was pretty closed mouthed about his childhood, only letting out bits and pieces, mostly in the form of little quips and jokes, or when he was sick and very vulnerable.

DiNozzo Sr. bristled at Gibbs' comment, but managed to keep himself under control. "I do realize that, Agent Gibbs, but you can't deny me the right to try. He is, after all, my flesh and blood."

Gibbs considered that for a few minutes before nodding slowly. "No, I can't deny you that right," he admitted finally. "But you'd better not hurt him..."

DiNozzo Sr. correctly read the implied threat in Agent Gibbs words. "I'm not going to hurt him," he said contritely. The two men were silent for a few minutes before DiNozzo Sr. spoke again. This was the key moment in his plan. "Agent Gibbs...I know I have no right to ask this..." It practically killed him to utter the words He had every right to ask this. Hell, if it wasn't for Gibbs being marked as Tony's next of kin, none of these problems would be occurring. "I'd like to spend some time alone with him...I want him to know that I'm here for him this time...that he can count on me..."

Gibbs mulled it over before giving an answer. No matter how sincere Tony's father appeared, he still had a bad feeling in his gut about him. He couldn't constantly be running interference though. Tony was a grown man, not a kid. He was very vulnerable right now though and needed to use all his strength for recovering, not for dealing with his father. Finally, he nodded his consent. "Okay...I need to run over to headquarters for a bit anyhow." He wanted to ensure that everything was going smoothly with booking the kidnappers. He sure as hell didn't want them getting off on any technicalities. "I won't be long..."

"Don't worry, Agent Gibbs...I'll take good care of him." DiNozzo Sr. watched with bated breath as Gibbs fussed around Tony for a few moments, straightening his blankets and patting his head in a gesture that was so openly affectionate, it once again stirred up his jealousy to gargantuan proportions. Finally, Gibbs left. DiNozzo Sr. waited a few minutes to ensure the agent was really gone, then pulled out his cell phone to call Dr. O'Connell who was waiting downstairs. A few minutes later, the doctor arrived in the room, complete with a doctor's coat and a stethoscope around his neck.

"Grab his chart," Luke ordered as he quickly made his way to Tony's bedside. The faster they got this done, the better off they would be. The two men worked together to transfer Tony from the bed to the stretcher and aside from a few indecipherable murmurings, he never even stirred.

"Now remember, if anybody stops us..." DiNozzo Sr. began.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Luke interrupted impatiently. "I'm the doctor you called in to consult on your kid's case. We're taking him for some tests. Let's hurry up." He wasn't at all sure they would get away with this if they were stopped. He thought it was a pretty flimsy story, himself and if anyone looked into his credentials, they were totally screwed. As luck would have it though, he need not to have worried. Code blue alarms sounded and in the ensuing commotion, no one took notice of them as they made their way to a nearby elevator. Minutes later, Luke was behind the wheel of the Buick Lucerne that he had rented and DiNozzo Sr and his son were safely ensconced in the back seat.

DiNozzo Sr. was exuberant as Luke pulled out of the hospital parking lot. He had done it! He had gotten his son away from Agent Gibbs.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: Wow. You all really blew me away with your response to the last chapter. I was amazed and can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate it. It was also great for my inspiration and since I had the day off from work today I had some extra writing time and managed to get this written. Enjoy :)**

**Special Thanks to: WCUGirl, Sparkiebunny, LongLashes1, pandi19, Gloworm41, Combatcrazy, vanishingp2000, Jessykuh, Taura Callisto, KelBell1094, julie250, Sarah1965, Diana Teo, godsdaughter77, TinTin11, twomoms, laoisbabe, Graphicmaker1, spnchick, NikaDex, Meilea2010, obfuscate2, NickTonyK, ihearttony, Anne Fairymaker, sarahsrr, jarcat, Stroma, Tiffany331, TheNaggingCube and ****Kurama111**.

xxxxx

Gibbs impatiently drummed on the steering wheel with his fingertips as he waited for the traffic in front of him to start moving again. Things had been running smoothly back at headquarters and he had managed to dissuade everyone from bombarding the hospital to visit Tony, at least for another day or two. He knew how much they all cared about his senior field agent, but Tony needed rest, not visitors right now. There would be time enough for visits as he progressed in his recovery. Abby had been the most difficult to convince, but when he explained that Tony would most likely sleep through her visit, she had reluctantly agreed to wait a little bit longer.

After what seemed to take forever, Gibbs finally arrived back at the hospital. He was trying hard to ignore the nagging feeling in his gut. Surely if anything was wrong, the doctors would have notified him. Tony was fine. It was just kind of weird not to be watching over him constantly as he had been doing for the past few days. Gibbs smiled to himself as the elevator doors opened on Tony's floor. He was taking over protectiveness to a whole new level. As he stepped off the elevator, his heartbeat quickened. There was a cluster of nurses in front of Tony's room and Gibbs rushed towards them. "What happened?" he asked as he arrived at Tony's room. "Is Tony worse?"

The nurses exchanged worried looks, but none of them answered Gibbs' question which only increased his concern. "Tony?" he called out as he brushed past them and entered Tony's room. He stopped in dismay when he saw the empty bed. "Oh my God...he's not.." After all that had happened, all they had been through, it couldn't have ended like this...

"Agent Gibbs." A hand gently clasped his shoulder and Gibbs swung around to face Dr. Kennedy.

"Where is he?" Gibbs asked, barely keeping the panic out of his voice. "What happened to him?"

"Calm down , Agent Gibbs. Nothing has happened to him. At least not that we know of..."

"Well, what's that supposed to mean? Where is he?"

"I...we don't exactly know," the doctor admitted.

"You don't know?!" Gibbs felt a sudden burst of fury. "I don't think he got up and walked away, do you? He didn't exactly look like he was in any shape to do that when I left him..." Shit. When he had left him... And suddenly it was all very clear. "It was his father...he must have taken him out of here..." Damn...how could he have been so stupid?

"Agent Gibbs...there's something else you should know..."

"What is it?" Gibbs asked with a sense of foreboding. It was obvious from the doctor's expression that the news was not good.

"We got the results back from Tony's sputum cultures. Unfortunately, the organisms aren't sensitive to the antibiotics he was on. I was going to change him to some different meds and that's when we discovered he was missing."

"So, he's just going to get sicker," Gibbs concluded grimly.

Dr. Kennedy nodded. "Yes, unless he gets the right medication."

Gibbs pulled out his cell phone and dialed it. "McGee. I don't have time for details, but Tony is missing and I need you and Ziva to meet me at the hospital, now." He clicked off the phone without even waiting for a response then turned back to the doctor. "Can you bring me to whoever is in charge of security here?"

"Of course. Follow me." Dr. Kennedy headed out of Tony's room and Gibbs quickly followed, praying he would discover some clue to Tony's whereabouts.

xxxxx

As Tony slowly began to awaken, the first thing that entered his mind was that something was not quite right. It was so quiet...too quiet... He eventually managed to drag his eyes open and found himself alone, in an unfamiliar place. The bed he was lying on was very comfortable and his first instinct was to just drift back to sleep, but his sense that something was amiss was stronger and he forced himself into a more alert state. Clearing his mind, he tried to mentally take stock of what he knew. The room was very expensively furnished. If he was in a hospital, it was probably some pricey private kind of facility. He wasn't breathing really well so he was obviously still sick and he knew he wasn't at Gibbs' house. Mustering up a Herculean effort, he tried to sit up, but was much too weak and could only raise himself up a couple of inches before flopping back against the pillows. Damn, this wasn't good. The exertion caused him too start coughing and gasping and he couldn't even call for help.

Finally, when he felt like he was about to lapse into unconsciousness, he felt a pair of hands supporting his back and raising him up into a sitting position. As he tried to catch his breath, he looked up at a man in a doctor's coat he didn't remember seeing before. "Wh...who are you?" he huffed, trying to hold back the urge to cough some more.

"Shhh...don't try to talk, Mr. DiNozzo. I'm Dr. Luke O'Connell. Let me listen to your lungs so I can see how you're doing." Luke pressed the end of his stethoscope onto Tony's chest and did not like what he was hearing. "You're doing fine." He managed a smile as he propped a couple more pillows behind Tony to keep him up in a sitting position.

"Am I?" Tony asked. "Cause honestly doc, I feel like crap."

That's not surprising, Luke thought to himself. He looked and sounded like crap as well. This really sucked. He wasn't going to get any money from DiNozzo if he couldn't keep his kid alive. This wasn't going to be the cakewalk he had thought it would be. "That's to be expected," Luke said reassuringly. "You'll turn the corner soon."

"Where am I anyhow?" Tony asked. Something seemed really fishy about this situation. "Where's Gibbs?"

"Gibbs?" Luke looked blankly back at Tony. "I don't know any Gibbs. You're here with your father. He's getting some food and supplies. He should be back any minute."

His father? Shit, shit, shit, This wasn't good at all. What the hell was his father doing? He started coughing again and by the time he stopped, he was unable to mask the mistrust in his eyes. "Are you even a real doctor?" Tony asked.

"What? Of course I'm a real doctor," Luke replied indignantly. "Why would you even ask such a thing?" This guy was starting to make him nervous. Where the hell was his father anyway?

Tony could feel himself slipping and battled to stay awake. Somehow, he had to get to Gibbs. "Hey doc? You got a phone I can use? I need to make a call," he asked, mustering up his most winning smile.

"Um...not sure if that's such a good idea..." Luke replied warily.

"Yo...you know, doc...kidnapping a federal agent is a pretty serious offense." Tony could feel himself starting to shiver and he knew his fever was getting worse again.

"Federal agent?" Luke's eyes widened. What the hell? DiNozzo sure as hell hadn't said anything about his kid being an agent.

"Yes, I work for NCIS. Give me the phone, doc and I'll put in a good word for you," Tony said coaxingly. "You can get out of this mess before it gets too complicated."

Luke stared back at Tony for a few moments before nodding. "Yeah sure." What the hell. Money was good, but it sure as hell wasn't worth prison for kidnapping a federal agent. He wanted no part of that. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone then handed it to Tony.

Tony breathed a sigh of relief as his fingers closed around the cell. So focused was he on the prize that he never even knew what was happening until the phone was ripped out of his hand. "You won't be needing that, son."

Suddenly feeling like he was eight years old and awaiting punishment, Tony looked up into the eyes of his father and wondered if he would ever see Gibbs again.

xxxxx

"Well they certainly didn't try to hide their identities, boss" McGee said. An inspection of hospital video footage had revealed DiNozzo Sr. and his unidentified companion at various points in the hospital as well as the hospital parking lot.

"That bastard." Gibbs was seething. Watching Tony's father in the act was only serving to fuel his fury even more. How on earth could he endanger his own son this way? "We need to get this film to Abby, find out who his accomplice is and see if she can get a license plate on the car."

"Got it, boss."

A short while later, Gibbs placed a Caf Pow in front of Abby. "What have you got for me, Abs?"

"Gibbs! The first thing you need is a hug," Abby said as she gently pulled the older man into an embrace. "You'll find Tony. He's going to be okay."

Gibbs allowed himself to be comforted for a few moments, more for Abby's benefit than his own, but then gently pulled away. "Abby? What did you find out?"

"Senior's accomplice is Luke O'Connell, former physician. He lost his medical license after numerous counts of treating patients while under the influence and being found guilty in two wrongful death suits."

"He's the one who's taking care of Tony?" Gibbs shook his head in disgust. "That's just great."

Abby nodded. "He's also the one who rented the car at the airport after flying in from New York earlier today."

"We need a BOLO out on that car."

"I'll get right on that," Tim said as he entered the lab with Ziva. "I've been trying to get a location on Tony's father's cell phone, but he has it off."

"Keep trying, McGee. Check out if O'Connell has a cell as well," Gibbs replied. "Maybe you can get something on that. Ziva, see if you find any known associates of Senior's. Maybe we can get some clue as to where they might have gone. And I know I don't need to stress that time is of the essence."

We'll do everything we can, boss," Tim stated.

"I know you will," Gibbs said, managing a glimmer of a smile. "Now come on, let's find Tony and bring him home."

xxxxx

"You didn't tell me he was a federal agent," Luke hissed angrily. He and DiNozzo Sr. stood in a corner of the sleeping agent's room. Tony had lost his fight to stay awake shortly after his father had grabbed the cell phone from him.

"That's because he's not a federal agent." DiNozzo Sr. spoke very slowly and calmly as if he were trying to pacify a small child.

"What do you mean?" Luke asked skeptically. "He was lying?"

"No, no, he's not lying," DiNozzo Sr. explained. "He really believes its true."

"So he's nuts?" Luke was beginning to wish he had never answered this guy's telephone call.

"No, he's not nuts," DiNozzo Sr. said. "Anthony just has some problems distinguishing fantasy from reality. Anyhow, is it really proper for a doctor to be calling his patient nuts? Not very professional of you."

"You're right, I'm sorry." Luke still wasn't sure if he believed DiNozzo Sr. or not.

"Did he happen to mention someone called Gibbs?" DiNozzo Sr. asked. He needed for Dr. O'Connell to stick this out. He wouldn't be able to properly take care of Tony by himself.

Luke nodded. "Yeah...yeah, he was asking for him."

"I was afraid of that." DiNozzo Sr. said with a heavy sigh. "Gibbs was a teddy bear Tony had as a child. He was very attached to it, much more so than what would be considered normal. We finally began to realize that he thought of Gibbs as someone real...his sidekick, his boss. They went on all kind of imaginary missions together and long after the bear was lost, he continued to live in that fantasy world. Its one of the reasons I wanted your help. He doesn't do well with hospitals. People don't always understand him and I want to keep his situation under wraps as much as I can. Plus I'm very much afraid someone might try to kidnap him again."

Luke absorbed what DiNozzo Sr. was telling him, still very uncertain about the situation.

"Look, I'll double the amount I'm paying you." DiNozzo Sr. was bordering on desperation.

Luke looked at DiNozzo Sr. doubtfully. "How do I know you even have that kind of money?" he asked. "You could be totally pulling my leg."

"Half now...half later when my son is well again." He had nothing to lose. He knew he shouldn't be blowing the money Prince Omar had given him for Tony's ransom, but it couldn't be helped. He would find some way to pay him back later on.

Luke visibly perked up at that. Even if DiNozzo's kid died, that was still a whole lot of money. "Okay, fine. I'll stay here and take care of him. But you need to find a way to get him some oxygen and fast. His breathing isn't good and he needs to be on it. That's something you should have thought of before taking him out of the hospital."

"How do I get it?"

Luke shrugged. "I can't risk writing a prescription. Look on Craig's list or something."

"Craig's list? Are you kidding me?" DiNozzo Sr. gave Luke an incredulous look.

"No. I'm not kidding you." Luke sighed impatiently as he pulled out his cell phone and pulled up the Internet. He was beginning to think DiNozzo was nuttier than his kid. He searched the for sale ads and finally came up with what he thought would work as a suitable oxygen concentrator. "Three grand. That alright?" he asked.

DiNozzo Sr. nodded. "Yeah, three grand is fine. Call them."

Luke called the number and made arrangements to go pick up the concentrator, which was only about a half hour away. "I'd better go, make sure everything's okay with it."

DiNozzo Sr. shook his head. "No. I want you to stay here with Tony in case anything happens. I'll go."

"Fine, just hurry up."

DiNozzo Sr. nodded. "I will. Take good care of my son." On the way out, he discreetly picked up Luke's cell phone and pocketed it. No sense in taking any chances on Tony getting his hands on it nor did he want Gibbs tracing it if they happened to figure out O'Connell's identity. He couldn't be too careful.

xxxxx

Gibbs sat at his desk, his eyes on the television monitor as he fast forwarded through the video footage from the hospital. He paused the tape when he found a particularly clear shot of Tony then stared at the frozen video image on the screen. He could see Tony's face, his eyes closed, having absolutely no idea what was even happening to him. It was then that it dawned on him that Tony was no longer wearing the oxygen mask. Gibbs had known that his father was a piece of work, but this was beyond his comprehension. He had no idea what the guy had been thinking or if he had been thinking at all.

"I'll find you, DiNozzo," he whispered, his eyes locked on the picture of his overly vulnerable field agent. "I promise...I will find you..."

xxxxx

**AN2: Couple of things. First medically, I sped up the culture results for dramatic purposes - probably would have taken a lot longer in real life. As for the oxygen concentrator, people really do sell those things on Craig's List which I found interesting. **

**The investigative stuff is definitely not my strong point, but hopefully you can overlook any holes as far as that goes. Thanks so much for reading :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: As always, thanks so much for your comments and support, it always manages to keep me going, even when the chapters are a little tougher like this one was (not as easy to write when Gibbs & Tony are separated since those are the two I have the easiest time writing). Hope you enjoy the latest installment :)**

**Special Thanks to: WCUGirl, Sparkiebunny, pandi19, LongLashes1, Gloworm41, sarahsrr, Diana teo, NickTonyK, vanishingp2000, Lizzy Loves Pancakes, Stroma, ncismom, carismum, combatcrazy, Space1Traveler, WhiteTree, Gaddkzmp, Jessykuh, BleakRemberance, Tiffany331, Kurama111, julie250, angeleyes46, newgal, Rena-Spatz, godsdaughter77, and Meilea2010**

xxxxx

"Boss? Where are you, boss?" Tony murmured fretfully. He had been deliriously calling for Gibbs for the last half hour and Luke was starting to lose his composure. There was now no doubt in his mind that this guy was nuts and that Gibbs really was a teddy bear. No way would someone be that attached to their real boss. It just wasn't natural. He went into the kitchen and frantically started going through the bags that DiNozzo Sr. had brought back from the store earlier. "Damn him!" Not one drop of liquor could he find. He was going to go out of his mind if he had to listen to DiNozzo much longer without anything to drink.

"Why'd you leave me? Not feeling good, boss. Really hot." Thrashing about in the clutches of the fever, Tony threw off the blankets that were covering him.

God...where the hell is his father? Tony's voice was audible even in the kitchen. There was no getting away from it. Luke knew he just needed to keep thinking about the money. 'Just think like a doctor, Luke. You can do it.' He went into the cabinet and found a bowl which he filled with cold water and found a clean dishcloth as well. He returned to the bedroom with the items and began to bathe Tony's face, which was soaked with perspiration. "I don't know what he was thinking, taking you out of the hospital like that," he said softly.

"Boss? Boss is that you?"

"No, it's not your boss. He wanted me to tell you he went on a very special mission, but that he's going to be back as soon as he can and you can go on new adventures together." He couldn't believe he was talking like this. "I don't know why your dad didn't just buy you a new bear. It couldn't have been that hard to find one."

"Can't breathe," Tony said. It was becoming more difficult to draw air into his lungs. "Hel...help me, boss."

Mercifully, at that moment, Luke heard the sound of the front door opening and closing. He trotted out to the entranceway where he saw DiNozzo Sr. carrying the oxygen concentrator. "About time you got here," he said, taking the concentrator out of the other man's hands.

"What are you talking about?" DiNozzo Sr. asked. "I wasn't gone that long."

"Long enough," Luke retorted, as he headed back into the bedroom. "I still don't understand why you took him out of the hospital."

"I told you why," DiNozzo Sr. stated, following on Luke's heels.

"Yeah, you gave me some lame ass excuse about how people wouldn't understand him. They're medical personnel. They're trained to work with patients who have mental disabilities. If he was my son..."

He's not your son," DiNozzo Sr. snapped. "He's my son and I know what's best for him."

Luke just shook his head and continued to work on getting the oxygen concentrator set up. Some people just weren't meant to have children. He adjusted the settings and inserted the nasal cannula into Tony's nostrils. He knew this wouldn't be as effective as an oxygen mask, but it was the best he was able to do for him under the circumstances. He watched closely as Tony's breathing became less labored and he appeared to fall asleep. "I need some air. I'm taking a walk." His tone indicated that he was telling, not asking. "I won't be far. Just yell if he needs me." He paused as he reached the bedroom door and glanced back at DiNozzo Sr. "Another thing...if you don't get my cell phone back to me by the time this is all over, you're giving me the money for a new one. That thing wasn't cheap." He then headed out, leaving DiNozzo Sr. alone with his son.

xxxxx

Tim and Ziva re-entered he bullpen area together. They stopped short when they saw Gibbs dozing at his desk, the frozen picture from the hospital surveillance still up on the screen.

"He is exhausted," Ziva whispered, her eyes focused on Tony's image. "He should not be here. He should be home in bed."

"Yeah? You going to tell him that?" Tim whispered back. "You saw the video surveillance, how protective he was of Tony. There's no way he's going home to bed."

"If the two of you are done whispering about me, maybe you can tell me what you've got." Gibbs opened his eyes and glared at his two agents.

"Nothing of much usefulness, I'm afraid, boss," Tim admitted. "I got Luke O'Connell's cell number, but so far can't get a location on it. Same for Tony's dad's phone. Still nothing."

"I was unable to get anywhere either," Ziva stated.

Gibbs sighed and brushed his hand back through his hair in frustration. This wasn't good at all. They could be anywhere. "Okay...let's get this to the media. Both of you start making calls. I think it's our best chance of finding someone who may have spotted them." He didn't think Tony would be very happy about this being made public, but his life was more important than anything else. At this point, there really wasn't any choice. Time was running out and so were their options.

xxxxx

DiNozzo Sr. watched as Luke high-tailed it out of the room and he quietly took a seat by his son's bedside. He thought about how relaxed Gibbs was with Tony. He had never really taken care of his son before. When Tony's mother was still alive, she had always tended to the boy when he was sick. Then, after she died, the boy's care had been left to the household staff. Maybe if he had been more a part of things, he wouldn't be so ill at ease now. He knew Gibbs had constantly talked to Tony, comforted him...now that it was his turn, he really didn't even know what to say. He felt more than a little bit uncomfortable so he just say there, silently, watching the rise and fall of Tony's chest and listening to his uneven, raspy breathing. He was still sitting like that when Luke came back in about 20 minutes later.

"How's he doing? Any change?" Luke asked as he walked over to Tony's side.

"No...no change," DiNozzo Sr. replied.

Luke noticed the cloth he had been using to cool down Tony's face was draped over the side of the bowl of water. Hadn't this guy done anything at all to help his kid? He dipped the cloth back into the bowl, wrung out the excess water, then placed it over Tony's forehead. "You're going to be okay," he said as Tony murmured something unintelligible. Luke glanced over at DiNozzo Sr. who was expressionless and hadn't moved a muscle. He rolled his eyes, realizing that he was not going to be of any usefulness.

"So...why didn't you get him another bear?" he asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"What?" DiNozzo Sr. asked, giving Luke a confused look. "What are you talking about?"

"You said he lost his bear when he was a kid and then Gibbs turned into his imaginary friend. "I was just wondering why you didn't just get him a new bear."

"Because he was too damn old to be carrying around a bear," DiNozzo Sr. snapped. He didn't want to talk about that. It brought back memories of another time he would rather not think about. Anthony had been eight years old and had started carrying around a stuffed dog. He had named it Willie or some such absurd name and it had been with the boy constantly. One day, he had dragged it along with him to the golf course. He had been beyond embarrassed watching his son lugging that straggly stuffed animal around with him, in front of all his friends and colleagues. He had been much too old for such nonsense. Very late that night, he had crept into Tony's room and had taken the dog out of the sleeping child's arms, making sure it had gone off with the garbage men early the following morning. Tony had been inconsolable and had received more than one beating because of it. Thinking back, DiNozzo Sr. realized he might not have handled the situation particularly well. It had been after his wife's death though and he had been doing a lot more drinking than thinking. He had never really thought about it before, but Anthony had become attached to the toy right after the death of his mother. It had likely provided some sort of security for the boy. Even so, he had still been too old to be carrying on like that over a stuffed dog. It was ridiculous. He had needed to develop a backbone and act like a man. Tears were not the DiNozzo way.

Luke couldn't read the expression on DiNozzo Sr.'s face and figured it was best to just let the subject drop. Deciding it was time he gave his patient a thorough examination, he went into the kitchen and retrieved the medical supplies DiNozzo Sr. had bought earlier. Although the man seemed clueless in many ways regarding his son, at least he was willing too pay whatever was necessary for his care.

"His blood pressure is pretty low," Luke stated as he removed the cuff from Tony's arm. He glanced over at DiNozzo Sr. who was just sitting there dispassionately. "Did you hear me?"

"I heard you."

"I think we should bring him back to the hospital." Luke put the tip of the aural thermometer into Tony's ear and seconds later it beeped, giving the reading of 104. "His temperature is 104," Luke stated, his concern mounting.

"No."

"NO?" Luke gave DiNozzo Sr. an incredulous look. "What do you mean no?"

"I mean no. You're a doctor. You'll take care of him. He'll be fine."

Luke shook his head. "No...no he won't be fine. He's getting worse."

DiNozzo Sr. abruptly got to his feet. He didn't want to think about this right now. "I'm going to make a sandwich. Do you want one too?"

"A sandwich?" Luke was dumbfounded. He was coming to the realization that something was seriously off with this guy. "Your son could die and you're making a sandwich? Are you kidding me?"

DiNozzo Sr. stared back at Luke, his anger starting to grow. "No I am not kidding you. You will keep your commentary to yourself or you can walk out of here right now."

Luke was starting to think that might not be such a bad idea, but they were in an isolated spot, miles from anyone else. Tony could easily be dead before help arrived. "I'll stay," he muttered, turning his attention back to Tony. DiNozzo Sr. grunted in satisfaction and headed off to the kitchen. Something about the sea air always gave him quite a hearty appetite.

xxxxx

Lydia Humphrey yawned as she took her eyes away from her computer screen and stretched. She glanced over at the television, which she rarely paid attention to. It was mainly used as a source of background noise while she worked. She was struck by the photo of the smiling man who appeared on the screen and couldn't help but notice how handsome he was. She directed her attention to the news anchor's voice and the story of how the man had been abducted and taken from a hospital with a life-threatening illness. Her eyes widened in shocked recognition as the next images flashed on the screen, the photos of two men. One of the pictures meant absolutely nothing to her, but the other one she recognized immediately as Mr. Donaldson, the gentleman she had rented the beachfront property to. Shakily, she reached for the phone and began to dial the number she saw on the screen.

xxxxx

"Gibbs...boss, where are you?" Tony whispered hoarsely. He had just been unbearably hot, but now he was shivering again. "Boss, help me." He could hear an unfamiliar voice talking to him in soothing tones, but he wanted Gibbs. He needed him. He couldn't understand why he had left him...

This was the thanks he got for taking him out of the hospital? All the trouble he had gone to...renting this beautiful home, paying through the nose for a doctor, and all he did was ask for Gibbs. "Can't you find some way to shut him the hell up?!" DiNozzo Sr. shouted. Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs...he was so sick of hearing his son calling for him. Insolent pup...he was always being disrespectful…after all he had done for him. How dare he act like this? He clenched his fists, trying to control his fast-building fury.

"No I can't shut him up. Can't you see how sick he is?" Luke's nerves were wearing thin. He realized he needed to get Tony away from his father fast. He just needed to figure out how to do it.

"Shut him up...shut him up...Do it, or I'll do it for you!"

"What?" Okay, this guy was clearly off his rocker. Luke suddenly had an unsettling thought. "Hey, is he really even your son?"

"What the hell are you talking about? How dare you even imply that he is not my son. No one will take him away from me. No one will ever take him. He is mine!"

Tony heard the sound of his father's angry voice and it only served to increase his distress, bringing back memories which he had tried to keep buried. "Keep him away from me. Boss, help me please...I need you..." Suddenly, he felt a sharp, stabbing pain into his chest and he gasped, trying desperately to draw a breath. "Boss..."

DiNozzo Sr, had finally reached the end of his rope. Consumed with rage, he threw Luke aside as easily as a rag doll and wrapped his hands around Tony's neck. "I am your father! Not Gibbs! I AM YOUR FATHER!"

"NCIS! Get the hell away from him!"

**AN2: Yeah, I know. I totally sent Sr. to the dark side - just couldn't seem to help myself ;)**


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: Wow – I guess you like evil Senior :) Thanks so much for the great response to the last chapter. It was totally amazing and I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate all the great reviews. I really tried to respond to all of you personally and hope I didn't miss anyone. If I did, it was inadvertent. **

**Thanks so much: WCUGirl, Sparkiebunny, vanishingp2000, LongLashes1, pandi19, NickTonyK NikaDex, , sarahsrr, Gloworm41, combatcrazy, carismum, AZGirl, BnBfanatic, Stroma, WildFire203, Anne Fairymaker, angeleyes46, STLFAN, Taura Callisto, Julie 250, Lizzy Loves Pancakes, fanfictionfan63, Gaddkzmp, Space1Traveler, shirik, , jgomez921, Tiffany331, mizcsimiami, BleakRememberance, NCIS-TIVA-FAN, godsdaughter77, JayLo, ihearttony, peanutmeg, newgal, DIRECT SELECTION2010, Meilea2010, anci2506, Kurama111, Rena-Spatz, and WhiteTree.**

**xxxxx**

"NCIS! Get the hell away from him!" Gibbs flew into a rage when he saw DiNozzo Sr. with his hands wrapped around Tony's neck. He yanked Tony's father away from his agent and landed a roundhouse punch to his jaw which sent the man crashing into the wall. Gibbs then went at Senior again, managing to get one more solid punch into his abdomen before he was grabbed by McGee.

"Boss! Stop!" the young agent protested as he tried to hold Gibbs back.

"Let go of me!" Gibbs growled as he twisted away from McGee.

"No." Tim put himself between Gibbs and DiNozzo Sr. "Come on, boss...it's Tony's father.."

"Don't you think I know that, McGee?" Gibbs shouted furiously. Father...that was a joke. That bastard was a father in name only, certainly not in any way that counted. His anger deflated though when he saw the state of his senior field agent, gasping for breath, looking like he was in severe pain. "Call an ambulance!"

"Already did, Gibbs," Ziva responded, who was in the process of handcuffing DiNozzo Sr, being none too gentle as she did so.

Seeing that Senior was under control, Gibbs rushed to Tony's bedside. "DiNozzo? Tony, where does it hurt?" Gibb asked as he grabbed Tony's hand.

"B..boss? Is that you? Ch...chest re...really hurts...can...can't breathe..." Tony gasped.

"It's okay, Tony. We're going to get you help. You're going to be fine," Gibbs soothed as he sat on the bed beside him.

DiNozzo Sr. had been watching the scene, growing more infuriated by the second. "I hope he dies, Gibbs!" he screamed, his face bright red with rage. "I hope he dies and then you'll know what it feels like to have your child taken from you! He was mine! You had no right, Gibbs! To hell with both of you!"

"Get that bastard out of here," Gibbs directed, never taking his eyes off Tony. "Now!"

Luke had been silently watching the goings on from a corner of the room and he now approached Gibbs cautiously, not wanting to anger the man any more than he already was. "I can take a look at him if you want..."

"Haven't you already done enough?" Gibbs snapped. He felt Tony's forehead and shook his head when he felt the warmth emanating from it. "You're already looking at kidnapping charges."

"Hey, I never meant to kidnap anyone. He just said he needed someone to take care of his kid." Luke gave Gibbs a nervous look as he began to listen to Tony's chest with his stethoscope. "He told me you were a stuffed teddy bear, an imaginary friend. I didn't know you were a real person."

"What?" Gibbs gave Luke an incredulous look. "Do I look like a damn teddy bear to you?"

Luke didn't respond as he was concentrating on Tony, a frown on his lips. "He has decreased breath sounds on the left. I think his lung may have collapsed."

"McGee! Get an ETA on that ambulance!" Gibbs shouted.

"Can hear the sirens now, boss," McGee responded as he cast a worried glance at Tony.

"Hang in there, Tony," Gibbs pleaded, clutching his agent's hand tightly. "You hang in there..."

**xxxxx**

"You're going to have to wait out here, Agent Gibbs," Dr. Kennedy said as he helped to guide the gurney towards the restricted treatment area of the ER. He had been notified of Tony's status and had been waiting in the Emergency Room when the ambulance arrived. The doors closed and Gibbs was left standing in the hallway. The ride in the ambulance had been nerve-wracking. Tony's breathing had worsened and he had eventually lost consciousness. Gibbs was beside himself with worry. He had a feeling of dread deep within his gut that he couldn't seem to shake.

Gibbs was pacing back and forth in the waiting area when Abby and Ducky entered the ER a short while later. "Gibbs! Have you heard anything about Tony?" Abby asked as she tightly embraced the older man.

"No, nothing yet, Abs," Gibbs said with a sigh.

"Jethro, why don't we go take a seat," Ducky said. "You're going to wear a hole through the floor."

Gibbs shook his head. He was much too on edge to sit still. "I don't want to sit, Duck. I just hope we hear something soon."

"You need to be patient," Ducky stated. "It may take some time." His attention was diverted as Ziva and Tim approached the small group.

"How's Tony?" Tim asked.

"No word yet, Timmy," Abby said as she pulled him in for a hug.

"Are Senior and O'Connell in custody?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes." Ziva nodded. "They are both back at headquarters."

"Good." Gibbs was itching to give Tony's so-called father a piece of his mind, but Tony was his first priority right now. Senior was going to have to wait.

"Does anyone want anything? Coffee or something?" Abby asked, looking pointedly at Gibbs.

"No thanks, Abs," he answered and everyone else shook their heads.

For the next hour or so, everyone paced, sighed and directed worried glances at each other. Time seemed to be going by at a snail's pace.

"What the hell is taking so long?" Gibbs snapped. He was worried, exhausted and reaching his breaking point.

Ducky gave Gibbs' shoulder an encouraging pat. "These things take time, Jethro. I'm sure they'll be out soon to give us some word of Anthony's condition."

"I hope you're right, Duck." Gibbs said as he resumed his pacing. He couldn't help but blame himself for Tony being in jeopardy, yet again. It all went back to that damn night of his dinner invitation to DiNozzo. In his head, of course he knew there was no way he could have foreseen what was to happen, but he still couldn't shake off the guilt that he felt. Now, things were even worse. DiNozzo's own father had tried to kill him. He could only imagine how that was going to mess with Tony's mind.

Finally, Dr. Kennedy entered the waiting area. "Agent Gibbs..."

"Doc…how is he?" Gibbs asked anxiously.

"He's stabilized right now," Dr. Kennedy replied. "His left lung did collapse. We inserted a chest tube which will likely be removed in a few days, barring any complications."

"Is he going to be okay?" Gibbs asked.

"Right now, I'm cautiously optimistic. His body has gone through a lot. He needs to get plenty of rest and we'll see how he does."

"Can I see him?" Gibbs asked.

Dr. Kennedy nodded. "You can see him, but it will probably be a while before he wakes up."

"That's okay," Gibbs answered softly. "I just want to sit with him."

"Alright. He'll be up in the same place he was before, the PCU. I'll see you up there in a bit." With that, Dr. Kennedy headed off and Gibbs turned his attention back to his team.

"I'll keep you posted," he said.

"You make sure you take care of yourself as well, Jethro, and get some rest," Ducky said.

Abby went over to Gibbs to give him a goodbye hug. "Do as Ducky says, Gibbs. We don't want you getting sick too."

"I don't get sick, Abs," Gibbs said, a faint smile touching his lips.

"Gibbs!"

"I'll make sure to rest, Abby." He directed his gaze toward Ziva and Tim. "Thanks for staying."

"Tell Tony we hope he's feeling better soon." Tim said.

"And that we will visit him as soon as he is up to it," Ziva stated.

"I'll tell him," Gibbs replied, anxious to get back to Tony's side. "I'll see you all soon." He then headed out of the ER to stay with his senior agent.

**xxxxx**

Tony groaned softly as he started to regain consciousness. He winced as he swallowed, his throat feeling painfully raw and dry. He also felt an aching pain deep in his chest. He started to cough which only served to increase his discomfort. The next thing he knew, strong arms were supporting him, sitting him up as he choked and gasped, then easing him back onto the pillows once the coughing had abated. He knew who was with him without even opening his eyes. "Thanks, boss," he whispered, his voice gruff and unrecognizable.

"How you feeling, DiNozzo?"

"Thirsty." He finally managed to open his eyes and gazed up at the man sitting by his bedside, Gibbs looked utterly wiped out, more so than Tony could ever remember seeing him. "You...you look like crap, boss."

"Thanks, DiNozzo." Gibbs smiled as he put a straw into a cup of water then placed it between Tony's lips. "You want to see crap, you should take a look in the mirror."

Tony took a few sips of the water and gave a relieved sigh as the cool liquid eased some of the fire in his throat. "So...what happened to me?"

"You tell me," Gibbs replied as he took the cup of water and placed it back on the bedside table.

Tony bit his lip as he tried to remember, hesitating for a few seconds before answering. "I got shot in the chest?" he finally questioned uncertainly.

Gibbs raised his eyebrows in surprise at Tony's answer. "No, Tony. You weren't shot. You've been pretty sick, but you're going to be better in no time."

Tony could tell by Gibbs' expression that there was a lot more to the story. "Do I have the plague again?"

Gibbs shook his head. "No. You have pneumonia and your left lung collapsed, but they put a chest tube in and they expect everything to go well."

Tony's eyes widened. "My lung collapsed? Isn't that really bad?" he asked, starting to feel a little bit panicked.

The fear Tony was feeling was apparent in his eyes. Gibbs grabbed his agent's hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. "DiNozzo, look at me," he instructed and waited patientlyfor Tony's eyes to meet his own. "You're going to be fine."

Tony stared back at Gibbs for a long moment then nodded. "Is that it?" he asked looking at Gibbs doubtfully. He still had a feeling there was more to this, but everything just seemed to be one big blank. He couldn't even remember how he got sick.

"Just get some rest, Tony," Gibbs replied. "You don't need to worry about anything right now except getting better. I'll be right here when you wake up."

"But..."

"Tony, sleep."

"Okay..." He still felt somewhat uneasy, but for now, his fatigue overpowered the need to try to sort things out. After one last look at Gibbs, Tony fell into a troubled sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

**Thanks so much, as always, for all the great reviews. I really appreciate all of you who have let me know you're enjoying the story. ****J**

**Special thanks: WCUGirl, Sparkiebunny, pandi19, LongLashes1, vanishingp2000, NikaDex, NickTonyK, carismum, Gloworm41, Gaddkzmp, AZGirl, Rena-Spatz, Space1Traveler, shirik, , Meilea2010, godsdaughter77, fanfictionfan63, Stroma, NCIS-TIVA-FAN, combatcrazy, twomoms, ihearttony, sarahsrr, diana teo, angeleyes46, Jessykuh, TheNaggingCube, jgomez921, julie250, Tacpebs, Sarah1965, newgal, Tiffany331. Anci2506**

xxxxx

Gibbs kept watch as Tony slept. He was more than a little bit troubled by the fact that Tony couldn't remember anything that had happened to him. He looked up as the door to Tony's room opened and Dr. Kennedy stepped inside. "I'm glad you're here, doctor," Gibbs said. "I'd like to talk to you about Tony's condition."

"Has something else happened?" Dr. Kennedy asked. He glanced over at Tony who appeared to be sleeping peacefully. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Its Tony's memory, or rather lack of memory...he doesn't remember anything that happened to him."

"That's not entirely surprising, Agent Gibbs," the doctor said. He walked over to Tony's bedside and began to listen to his lungs with his stethoscope. "He's been through quite an ordeal."

"I know that, but this whole thing that happened with his father has me worried." Gibbs lowered his voice considerably and he gave Tony a quick look, making sure he was still asleep. "I think he may have subconsciously blocked out what happened to him."

Satisfied with what he had heard on his examination of Tony's lungs, Dr. Kennedy removed the stethoscope from his ears and gave his full attention to Gibbs. "I don't think you should be worrying about this yet. Give him a day or two. Like I said, he's been through a lot and he's still quite sick. Let's give him some time before we jump to conclusions."

"You don't think he should talk to someone?"

"I'm not saying that," Dr. Kennedy said, shaking his head. "I'm just saying that for right now, let's get him get a little bit better physically. From what you've told me, it might be a very good idea for him to talk to somebody after all he's been through, even if he does regain his memory. I'd just like him to get some of his strength back and recover a bit before we throw a therapist at him. He can barely keep his eyes open as it is."

"I guess you're right, Doc," Gibbs said. Maybe he was overreacting, but he couldn't help it. He had seen all that Tony had gone through. First, at the hands of Bellingham, then Sam trying to burn him alive, topped off by his own father kidnapping him and trying to choke him to death. It was no wonder Tony had blocked these things out of his mind.

"Sleep is the best thing for him right now and you should try to get some yourself as well, Agent Gibbs," Dr. Kennedy said as he gave Gibbs' shoulder an encouraging pat. "I know I can't tell you not to worry, because you will anyway, but try to keep it to a minimum if you can. I'll be back soon to check on him again."

xxxxx

When Tony next woke up, he felt even worse than when he had first regained consciousness. Gibbs noted that Tony appeared to grow pale right before his very eyes. "Tony? What is it?" he asked, giving him a concerned look.

"I...I think I'm gonna be sick, boss..." Gibbs quickly scanned the room and found an emesis basin inside the top drawer of the night stand. He got it to Tony right before he began to violently heave. As his stomach was basically empty, nothing came up, but the spasms in his stomach were brutally painful and he had exhausted himself by the time they finally ended.

"You alright?" Gibbs asked automatically, knowing that he was anything but alright.

Tony shook his head, looking miserable. He collapsed back against the pillows not bothering to answer Gibbs' question. He still felt really nauseous and was afraid the slightest movement would set his stomach off again. Gibbs studied his agent for a long moment then pressed the call button. Tony didn't even notice. He was too focused on trying to keep his stomach under control.

"How'd I get so sick?" Tony asked, his voice so soft Gibbs could barely make out his words.

Gibbs was silent, unsure how to answer Tony's question. He looked up in relief when a nurse entered the room. "What can I do for you?" she asked with a smile as she went to the side of Tony's bed.

"He's really sick to his stomach, been dry heaving pretty severely," Gibbs replied when Tony didn't respond to the nurse.

"That doesn't sound like much fun. I'll let Dr. Kennedy know and we'll see about getting something to help you feel better. Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked.

Tony remained unresponsive. "I guess not," Gibbs said with a shrug. He thanked the nurse and she headed out of the room, giving Tony a sympathetic look before she left.

"Well?" Tony asked after the nurse had exited from the room.

"Well what, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, knowing full well what his agent was talking about.

"How'd I get so sick?" Tony was visibly getting upset as he repeated his earlier question and he started coughing. Gibbs helped Tony into a sitting position and finally his coughing let up. "What the hell is this, boss?" Tony questioned somewhat breathlessly. "Did I catch a cold that went out of control or what?"

Gibbs realized that keeping quiet was definitely doing more harm than good in this case. "You were drugged, Tony," he admitted

"Drugged?" Tony looked baffled as he considered this newest piece of information. "By who? What kind of drug did they give me?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Come on...we don't really need to be doing this right now.. Why don't you lie back and get some rest. The doctor says that's the most important thing for you to be doing so you can get better."

"Why all the secrets?" Tony asked. He was starting to feel worse which was only serving to magnify his frustration even more.

"There aren't any secrets, Tony. I've just been hoping that you'd remember on your own, that's all."

"Well, I don't remember and I want to know so tell me!" At that point, his stomach started spasming again. Gibbs watched helplessly as Tony battled through the latest episode. At the end of it, Tony curled up on his side, with his back to Gibbs, shivering with one hand wrapped around his abdomen. Not knowing what else to do, Gibbs gently began to rub Tony's back, hoping it would provide at least some measure of comfort to him.

Tony wanted to continue to try to get answers to his questions, but he was extremely weak after what his body had just gone through. That, combined with the soothing motion of Gibbs rubbing his back were impossible to resist and it wasn't long before sleep claimed him once again.

A short while later, Dr. Kennedy entered the room. "Agent Gibbs," he greeted. "I hear our patient's not doing so well?"

"He's feeling pretty lousy," Gibbs replied. "And he isn't real thrilled with me at the moment."

"I'm afraid he's not going to be very happy with me either. I'm going to have to wake him up in order to examine him," Dr. Kennedy said apologetically.

Gibbs nodded his assent and gently shook Tony's shoulder, trying to rouse him. "Tony? Come on, Tony, you need to wake up."

"No, go away, leave me alone," Tony murmured as he tried to burrow further into the pillow, away from Gibbs.

"Come on, DiNozzo, wake up." He shook his shoulder again, a little bit harder this time and made his voice a little bit more authoritative, this time succeeding in getting the younger man to open his eyes.

"What?" Tony asked irritably. One minute Gibbs was telling him he needed to sleep, the next minute he was waking him up. He wished he would make up his mind.

"I'm sorry to have to wake you, but the doctor needs to examine you," Gibbs explained.

"Is that alright with you?" Dr. Kennedy asked, stepping into Tony's field of vision.

"Yeah sure, that's okay," Tony nodded his agreement, not seeing that he really had any real choice in the matter anyway.

"Can you lie on your back for me?"

Tony slowly rolled onto his back and Dr. Kennedy began examining his abdomen, palpating all four quadrants, checking for any signs of pain or tenderness as he pressed and prodded the area. Finally, he ended the exam and Tony gave a sigh of relief as the doctor stepped away from him. "Well I don't see anything remarkable going on."

"Do you think this is from the drugs he was given?" Gibbs asked, not wanting to say too much about the time he and Tony had spent as hostages. "He was vomiting on and off when he first got injected."

"I can't really be sure," Dr. Kennedy stated. "It may just be a reaction to the meds he's on now. We've got him on some pretty heavy duty ones. I'll try changing the antibiotic, see if that helps." He directed his gaze towards Tony. "Are you in pain right now?"

Tony shrugged. "Not really pain. I just feel kind of sore."

"That's to be expected,": Dr. Kennedy said, nodding. "Probably strained your abdominal muscles. How are you doing with the nausea? On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate it?"

"Probably about a nine," Tony admitted reluctantly, giving a sideways glance at Gibbs.

"I'll order you some Compazine. It should help settle your stomach. Try to get some rest. I'll check back in with you a little bit later." The doctor scribbled some notes into Tony's chart and then left the room. Tony stayed silent after the doctor left. He settled his eyes on Gibbs as he desperately tried to stay awake. Gibbs bit back a smile at his agent's attempt to do the Gibbs glare. He definitely had some work to do on that. He decided to put Tony out of his misery and tell him a little of what he wanted to know. He would just avoid any mention of DiNozzo Sr.

"Alright, DiNozzo...I'll give you the condensed version of what happened, but after that, I want you to promise me you'll get some sleep."

"I don't know why. Everyone just keeps waking me up," Tony grumbled.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow and stared back at Tony who lowered his gaze. "Fine...I'll go to sleep...I promise," he mumbled as he swallowed and almost felt like he was on the verge of getting sick again. This was awful. He couldn't remember ever feeling so bad before. Shivering slightly, he pulled the covers up just under his neck and looked back at Gibbs expectantly.

Gibbs sighed softly. He really wished Tony would start feeling better. He hated seeing him like this. "It all started after your last undercover case," he began quietly. "You looked like you needed a good meal and some rest so I invited you over for dinner. When we got to my house, an ambush was waiting for us."

Tony listened to Gibbs attentively and tried to remember, but he still couldn't recall anything.

"Nothing?" Gibbs asked, seeing the obvious frustration on Tony's face.

"No." Tony shook his head. "Go on."

"Anyhow, there was this guy, Bellingham, who wanted revenge on me because he blamed me for his daughter's death. She was murdered by a serial killer right before we caught the guy. It was when you were on medical leave." He answered the unspoken question in Tony's eyes. "Long story short, he decided to drug you to get to me. You've been pretty sick for a while now..."

Tony nodded as he absorbed the information Gibbs had just given him. "Thank you for telling me." At least now he had a valid explanation for why he felt so god-awful. He looked back at Gibbs and could see the guilt written all over his face, as plain as day. "Wasn't your fault, boss," he murmured drowsily, allowing his eyes to close. "I know you've always got my six..."

Gibbs watched as Tony fell back to sleep and hoped he would stay that way for a while this time. He definitely had not had DiNozzo's six when he had let his father get to him. Not that he ever would have expected Senior to nab Tony from the hospital, but he still should not have left them alone together. "It was my fault, Tony," he whispered. "But he won't be getting near you again...not if I have anything to say about it..."


	21. Chapter 21

**Here you go, the next chapter. I'm doing my best not to keep you all waiting too long. You have all been so great with the reviews and I really appreciate it. Thanks so much :)  
**

**Special Thanks: WCUGirl, Sparkiebunny, vanishingp2000, pandi19, LongLashes1, NikaDex, NickTonyK, Tiffany331, combatcrazy, diana teo, Gloworm41, jgomez921, sarahsrr, AZGirl, julie250, carismum, Tacpebs, Space1Traveler, anci2506, Rena-Spatz, godsdaughter77, NCIS-TIVA-FAN, shirik, Meilea2010, angeleyes46, newgal, Gypsy and medicgirl.**

xxxxx

Anthony DiNozzo Sr. was seriously pissed off. He couldn't believe he was being held in this damn cell without a word from anyone. "Damn you to hell, Gibbs!" he shouted. This was all Gibbs' fault, sticking his nose where it had no business being, trying to steal his kid. He had been taking care of him just fine. He wondered how Gibbs had tracked him down so quickly. He really thought he had sufficiently covered his tracks. He should have been more careful. Now he was being held on whatever trumped up charges Gibbs was going to throw at him. Of course, he supposed he had kind of lost it with his son, but Tony had only himself to blame the way he was constantly asking for Gibbs when his own father was with him. How was he supposed to react to such disrespect? He had to teach the boy a lesson. It was the only way he'd learn.

xxxxx

"No...no...get away from me...leave me alone...please..."

Gibbs awoke immediately and stumbled out of bed as he made his way to Tony's side. The younger man was thrashing about on his bed in the obvious throes of a nightmare.

"Don't... don't... please," he whimpered.

Gibbs put his hand on Tony's shoulder and shook it gently. "Tony, wake up...Its okay. It's just a dream."

"B...boss?"

"Yeah, I'm right here with you...you're safe."

Tony took a few moments to get his breathing back under control. "I had a nightmare?" he asked shakily as his heartbeat, which had been racing out of control, started to slow.

Gibbs nodded. "You want to talk about it?" he asked quietly, his eyes filled with concern. He couldn't help but wonder when his agent was going to get a break.

"I...I..." Tony pondered that for a bit as he struggled to remember what he had been dreaming about that had scared him so badly. "Maybe I would if I could remember it, but I don't," he said with a worried look on his face.

"It's okay." Gibbs patted his hand reassuringly, thinking it could be a blessing that Tony didn't remember the nightmare based on his reaction to it. "How are you feeling?"

Tony considered the question as he mentally took stock of his body. His chest still felt achy and congested, but thankfully the horrible nausea which had tormented him had abated. "I'm feeling better," he replied truthfully.

Gibbs placed his hand on Tony's forehead and found it to be relatively cool, albeit somewhat sweaty as a result of the nightmare. Satisfied that Tony really did appear to be improving, he sat down on the chair by Tony's bed with a relieved sigh.

"Don't you believe me, boss?" Tony quipped with a bit of a smirk.

"I believe you, DiNozzo," Gibbs replied. "But it's been a long few days. Just making sure..."

"I'm beginning to think maybe its good I can't remember anything," Tony said as he studied the serious expression on Gibbs' face. "Are you okay, boss?"

"I'm fine, DiNozzo. You're the one lying here in a hospital bed, not me."

"Maybe you should go home and get some rest, boss. No offense, but you kind of look like you could use it."

"There's a perfectly good bed right here, Tony and I've been informed that I'm welcome to it unless you get a roommate."

"Even so, I'm sure your own bed is more comfortable than these...I know mine is," Tony said a little bit wistfully.

"It won't be long before you're home in your own bed," Gibbs replied.

"Well it can't be soon enough for me."

"Just keep doing what the doctors say, DiNozzo. That'll get you out of here sooner rather than later."

Tony nodded. .They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before Tony felt the familiar tickle in the back of his throat and he had another episode of coughing. Finally, the coughing subsided, leaving him red-faced and breathless.

"You okay, Tony?"

"Yeah..." Tony said hoarsely. "Can you pass me some water, please?"

Gibbs picked up the plastic pitcher and poured some water into a cup then handed it to Tony.

"Thanks," he said as he took a couple of long sips from the cup. "Mmmm...good."

Tony put the cup back down on the bedside table and sighed. He was starting to feel a little bit restless and bored. He saw the remote control for the television, attached by a cord to the railing on the bed. He picked it up and aimed it towards the t.v., frowning when it didn't work. "Hey what's up with this? No t.v.? What are we supposed to do for entertainment?"

"Uh...sorry, Tony...I didn't think to get it turned on," Gibbs replied quickly. "You weren't doing very well and it didn't even enter my mind..." It had actually been deliberate on his part not to get the television turned on, not wanting Tony to catch any of what had been happening on the news.

"Not a problem, boss. I'm sure I can get someone to turn it on."

"Yeah...right...I just remembered…I need to make a call. I'll be right back."

"No hurry, boss," Tony said as he settled himself back against the pillows and watched as Gibbs headed for the door. "I'm not going anywhere."

xxxxx

"McGee! What are you doing?" Abby asked, giving him an annoyed look. "You're supposed to be helping me."

"Yeah, I know...sorry...I just can't believe how any movies he has," Tim said, looking around Tony's apartment in amazement. The walls were lined with shelves containing all kinds of DVDs. "He could open up his own store."

"How can you possibly be surprised?" Abby asked. "Tony talks about movies constantly."

"I know...I just…I don't know how he even finds the time to watch them," Tim shrugged.

Abby rolled her eyes as her eyes roamed over the DVD collection and she added some to her stack. "Grab some of those Magnum DVDs over there, Timmy, and some of the James Bond movies."

Tim did as Abby requested and silently handed the movies to her. "Thank you. Did you find the portable DVD player?" Abby asked.

"No...I don't see it anywhere."

Abby scouted around in search of the DVD player and finally found it on top of the dresser in Tony's bedroom. "I think this should be good, don't you?" Abby asked as she looked at the respectable bundle of DVDs they had gathered. We can get Tony some magazines too and maybe a couple of puzzle books."

"The boss is certainly concerned about Tony having enough to do, isn't he," Tim commented as he gathered most of the DVDs and the DVD player into his arms, just leaving a few for Abby to carry.

"It's because he doesn't want Tony watching t.v," Abby said as she and Tim walked out of Tony's apartment and she locked the door behind them. "He's afraid that he'll see something he shouldn't on a news broadcast."

"Hopefully he'll just start to remember on his own soon," Tim stated, following Abby down the hallway of Tony's building. "Gibbs is jumping through hoops to try to keep it from him."

"He just wants to protect him, Timmy," Abby stated. "You can certainly understand that after everything Tony's gone through, can't you?"

"Of course I understand," Tim said, nodding. "It's just that no one can protect Tony from everything...not even Gibbs.

"Oh ye of little faith, McGee. Gibbs, he's like superman. He can keep Tony safe like nobody else can." By now, the two were outside. Tim unlocked his car and placed the DVD player and the DVDs on the back seat of his car and closed the door.

"I really hope you're right, Abby," Tim said as he opened the front passenger side door for her. He had an unexplained feeling of foreboding that he couldn't seem to shake. "I hope you're right..."

xxxxx

Gibbs sat by Tony's side, content to just be watching the younger man sleep. He was almost afraid to believe how much better he was doing. Tony had even claimed to be hungry and they were going to try him on some soup and Jell-O to see how he did with that. "You really had me worried, DiNozzo," Gibbs whispered as he listened to the sound of Tony's even breathing. Just then, Gibbs' phone began to vibrate. Gibbs pulled the cell out of his pocket and saw Director Vance's name on the caller ID display. Satisfied that Tony was soundly sleeping and would likely remain that way for the time being, Gibbs decided he had better return the director's call. He had been putting it off for long enough. "I won't be gone long," he said softly as he gently squeezed Tony's hand. He then headed out of the room to find a private place where he could make the call.

xxxxx

Sandra Knight escorted her trainee, Bonnie, into the next room. "This patient is on a liquid diet." Seeing that the man in the bed was asleep, she lowered her voice. "Just put his tray over there on the bedside table,"" she directed the young dietary aide.

Bonnie put the tray on the table as she stifled a yawn. This job wasn't exactly brain surgery. She didn't see why she needed someone accompanying her to deliver food trays. It really wasn't much different than when she had delivered newspapers on her paper route. Her look of boredom changed to one of excitement though when she recognized the sleeping man. "Oh my God, Sandra," she squealed at the sight of the man who had been all over the news the past few days. "Do you know who this is?"

Knowing full well the identity of the patient, Sandra tried to usher Bonnie out of the room. "We don't discuss patients, Bonnie," she said sternly. "Come on, let's go."

"But this is Anthony DiNozzo!" Bonnie was practically gushing. "He's the federal agent who was kidnapped by his own father! He's so gorgeous, isn't he? Though, how awful that his father did that to him. He must be some kind of a nutcase."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Gibbs' voice was low, but filled with wrath as he stood in the doorway. The infuriated expression on his face reduced Bonnie to immediate tears.

"I...I'm so so...sorry," Bonnie stammered.

"Get out of here, now," Gibbs hissed, having not an ounce of sympathy for the young woman.

Sandra gave Gibbs an apologetic look as she grabbed Bonnie by the arm and practically dragged her out of the room. Gibbs glared at the women as they left and he then stepped into Tony's room. Taking a deep breath, Gibbs quietly approached Tony's bed, hoping and praying that his senior field agent was still sleeping soundly. However, when he saw the stricken look in Tony's eyes, he knew that he had heard every word...


	22. Chapter 22

**Thank you all so much for your incredible support for this story. I can't tell you how much it means to me and what an enjoyable experience writing it is. :)**

**Special Thanks : WCUgirl, Sparkiebunnie, LongLashes1, sundarkeyes, Soul Music, vanishingp2000, Sarah1965, Gaddkzmp, Space1Traveler, Rena-Spatz, NickTonyK, NikaDex, ncismom, godsdaughter77, Gloworm41, sarahsrr, ihearttony, twomoms, shirik, newgal, NCIS-TIVA-FAN, diana teo, Meilea2010, anci2506, Belker, Stroma, AZGirl,,combatcrazy, GibbsGirlAbby, TinTin11, BNBfanatic, BleakRemberance, angeleyes46, medicgirl, and peanutmeg, I really appreciate your comments :)**

xxxxx

"Is it true?" Tony fought to keep his voice steady as he stared at Gibbs accusingly. Gibbs remained silent, causing Tony's anger to increase. "Is it true?" he demanded again, his voice louder and his green eyes flashing with fury.

"Yes, its true," Gibbs finally admitted, realizing there was no way out of this mess.

"My father did this to me?" Tony asked. "I thought you said it was some guy Bellington or whatever the hell you said his name was."

"Bellingham..."

"I DON'T CARE!" Tony was fast losing the battle to keep his emotions under control. "What the hell, Gibbs...was everything you told me just some big elaborate lie you made up?"

"No. It wasn't a lie. Everything I told you really did happen, Tony."

"I thought you said it was my father?" Tony's head was spinning as he tried to make sense out of what he was hearing.

"If you'll calm down, I'll explain it to you," Gibbs said quietly, very worried that this was going to cause Tony to suffer a setback in his recovery.

Tony took a deep breath then looked back at Gibbs. "I'm calm."

Not entirely convinced of that, Gibbs sat down on the chair by Tony's bed and prepared himself to begin. "First of all, I want you to know that I was only doing what I thought was best for you...I never wanted to hurt you, Tony. I was just trying to give you a little bit more time to remember things on your own."

"You don't have to protect me, boss."

Gibbs shook his head. "Tony...Its my instinct to try to protect you. I can't just turn it off. When you remember what's happened to us over the last week, I think you'll understand why I did what I did."

Tony nodded. Although he was pretty angry with Gibbs, he did believe that Gibbs would never deliberately set out to hurt him. "Okay."

"What I told you earlier was all true. Its the part that happened afterwards that I left out."

"What happened?"

Gibbs sighed heavily. "Your father grabbed you from the hospital after we were rescued."

"What?" Tony looked at Gibbs incredulously. "I don't understand...why would he do that?"

Gibbs shrugged. "He was pretty upset that I was your next of kin medically. I think it was a jealousy thing. He accused me of trying to take you from him, stuff like that..."

Tony considered that for a few moments as he twisted the blanket covering him with his hands, then looked back at Gibbs. "Where did he take me?" he asked, still finding it hard to believe his father would even go to such lengths.

He rented a beach house. That's how we found you, actually. The rental agent recognized him from a news report. Not sure how we would have found you if it wasn't for that."

"I guess lots of people saw this juicy little news story..." Tony stated. Though he could understand why Gibbs needed to leak the story, it didn't ease his discomfort at being the focus of it.

"I'll make sure I speak to that girl's supervisor," Gibbs said, his anger flaring once again.

"It doesn't matter, boss," Tony said. "I would have found out one way or another. Maybe it's better this way."

"Even so...she needs to learn how to respect patient rights."

"Yeah...I guess..." Tony shrugged, not really all that interested in the girl who had spilled the beans. "So, is that it? Where is my father now?"

"He's in custody at headquarters. We also have a doctor in custody...Well, he used to be a doctor. Your father hired him to take care of you."

Tony took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "So, that's it...I mean, it's not that bad what he did, is it? He hired a doctor so...so it's not that bad, right?" Tony gazed at Gibbs imploringly, and the look in his eyes almost broke Gibbs' heart.

"Tony..."

"I mean, I'm getting better now. No harm, no foul..."

"Tony...he attacked you..." Gibbs could barely get the words out, not wanting to hurt his agent any more, but Tony needed to know the truth. His father was a sick man and needed to pay for what he had done, or at the very least needed to get some kind of help.

Tony was silent, staring down at his hands which had started trembling "What did he do?" he asked in a whisper,

"The details aren't important right now..."

"You said he attacked me, boss! Now I want to know what he did. Tell me!"

"He had his hands around your neck when we got there," Gibbs said, forcing himself to meet Tony's gaze. "He was choking you…

Tony lowered his eyes, not wanting Gibbs to see how close he was to tears. "So...he tried to kill me?" he asked with a slight tremor in his voice.

Gibbs sighed. He hated this. Inwardly he cursed Tony's father for doing this to his own son and putting them in this position. "He was really angry...probably wasn't thinking. I don't think he really wanted to kill you... Senior's words were echoing in Gibbs' head but there was no way he was going to repeat them to Tony. He was pretty sure they had been aimed more at himself rather than Senior really wanting to see his son dead, though he still shuddered to think what would have happened if they had not arrived when they did. Tony could have easily ended up dead as a result of his father's rage. All it took was an instant for a person to kill someone and then regret it afterwards when it was too late.

"I think I'd like to be alone right now, boss..." Tony's head was bowed as he tried desperately to hold himself together.

Gibbs hesitated, not really wanting to leave Tony by himself, but then decided Tony deserved some time to try to sort things out. "Okay...I'll be right out in the hallway. Just holler if you need me."

"You don't have to stay here, boss. You should just go home...

"I'll be right outside, DiNozzo," Gibbs stated, his tone leaving no room for argument. He then headed out of Tony's room, hoping he would be able to come to terms with all he had just heard.

xxxxx

Tony waited until he heard the quiet click of the door closing before he crumpled. He curled up into a ball under the covers and allowed the tears to fall. He wondered if his father had ever really loved him, wondered if his parents had ever planned to have a child or if his conception had just been one colossal mistake. Considering his father had either ignored him or smacked him around, it was a good bet he hadn't ever been wanted. He couldn't help but wish he had a brother or sister, someone with shared memories who he could talk to…someone who would really understand. He supposed that was selfish though. It was bad enough that he'd had to suffer through a lifetime of his father's abuse, never mind a brother or, god forbid, a sister, being subjected to it as well. As bad as things had been sometimes though, he had never really been afraid to the point that he had ever imagined his father would actually try to kill him. Sadly, he had thought the beatings he had received as a child were just a normal part of growing up. It wasn't until he was older that he realized they were not. He had started going home with classmates over holidays and school vacations and that was when he realized what real families could be like.

One friend's family had particularly stood out for him, Chris Paulsen. They had bonded in their sophomore year of high school and Chris had invited him home for Thanksgiving that year, an invitation that Tony had eagerly accepted. He had left a message for his father, letting him know, but his father had never even bothered to return the call. The holiday had been a blast, the best one Tony had ever had. Chris' family had welcomed him with open arms and he had treasured every moment he spent with them. Chris' dad had been exceptionally warm and Tony had a great time talking about sports and school as they had watched the football games on television. Chris had a younger brother and two younger sisters, one who had developed quite a crush on Tony. Tony had spent a lot of time just watching the interaction between Chris and his family members. It had been a far cry from the silent holidays spent in his own house. That holiday had been the first of many times spent with Chris' family. It wasn't until they went their separate ways at college that the invitations stopped, but Tony, always pretty popular, never had a shortage of places to go. He tried his best to avoid going home at all costs and for the most part was very successful. As Tony thought back to those years, he couldn't help wondering what had become of Chris and his family. He'd never told Chris just how much those times had meant to him. He regretted losing touch the way he had. Maybe he would think about looking him up.

He was starting to tire again, but he was pretty sure sleep would still be elusive, at least for a little bit longer. His thoughts turned to Gibbs. The man meant the world to him and Tony trusted him implicitly, which was why he had been so pissed off to learn Gibbs had been keeping things from him. Gibbs was the father he had never had but always yearned for. Not that Tony would ever tell him that. He knew Gibbs cared about him, but it wasn't the same. Gibbs cared about all the members of his team. It was his job to protect them and keep them safe. For Tony it was so much more though. NCIS was his family...now more than ever before.

xxxxx

"Gibbs!" Abby threw her arms around him, pulling him into a hug.

"Hi Abs," Gibbs pressed a light kiss onto her forehead and returned her embrace. He was happy to see her, especially after what had transpired with Tony. He had been out in the hallway for close to an hour now and was considering going back into the room, hoping that Tony had managed to fall back to sleep. The only sound he had heard since he left were periodic bouts of coughing.

"Hey, boss," McGee greeted.

"Tim," Gibbs nodded at the young agent.

"Can we go in to see Tony?" Abby asked eagerly as she pulled back from. "Look at all the movies we brought him. He won't even think about watching t.v."

"Probably not the best time to visit, Abs..."

Abby's face fell. "But, I thought he was doing better. Did he have a relapse?"

Gibbs shook his head. "No relapse. But, he overheard someone talking about what his dad did."

"Oh no...Poor Tony..."

"How'd he take it?" Tim asked, concern evident on his face.

"Not great," Gibbs answered. "Not only is he upset about his father, but he's feeling betrayed because I held things back from him."

I'm sure Tony knows you were only trying to protect him," Abby said. "He's just upset right now, but deep down inside he must know you just wanted to help him."

"I hope so..." Gibbs brushed his hand back through his hair, then noticed that McGee's arms were still full of all the DVDs he was awkwardly holding. "McGee, why don't you give those to me. I appreciate you bringing them. I'll call you and let you know when Tony is up for visitors."

"Are you sure?" Abby asked, still reluctant to leave without seeing him. "I might be able to cheer him up."

Gibbs considered that for a moment but then slowly shook his head. "I really think it would be better if you wait, just a little bit longer, okay Abby?"

"Okay...tomorrow for sure though," she said as she hugged Gibbs again. "We really need to see him and I think he needs us too...we're his family."

Gibbs nodded and watched as Abby and McGee headed off, Abby's words echoing in his head. She was right...they were family and he needed to make sure Tony knew that.


	23. Chapter 23

**AN: Not too much going on today, so I thought I would try to get another chapter in this weekend. As always, thank you so much for the amazing support and all your comments. They are very, very much appreciated. Here's the next chapter – hope you enjoy :)**

**Special Thanks: WCUGirl, Sparkiebunny, pandi19, LongLashes1, vanishingp2000, Space1Traveler, diana teo, NickTonyK, Stroma, Gloworm41, carismum, faldo, NCIS-TIVA-FAN, angeleyes46, Sarah1965, peanutmeg, combatcrazy, AZGirl, Rena-Spatz, Meilea2010, julie250, Gaddkzmp, newgal, Tacpebs, anci2506, TheNaggingCube, GibbsGirlAbby, twomoms, and Kaco327.**

xxxxx

After Abby and Tim had left, Gibbs opened the door to Tony's room with one hand as he carefully balanced the DVD player and DVDs in the other. He silently made his way to Tony's bedside and put the items he was carrying down on the nightstand. He then turned his attention to Tony who appeared to be sleeping soundly. Gibbs sat down on the chair by Tony's bed and studied his agent as he slept. He was relieved to see him resting so easily since their last conversation had been anything but peaceful. "I'm here if you need me, DiNozzo," he whispered, then tried to get comfortable as best he could as he waited for Tony to awaken.

xxxxx

_The sound of water slowly dripping was the first thing Tony heard as he slowly forced his eyes open and tried to get his bearings. He found himself securely chained to a stone wall in a cold, dungeon-life room. "Hello? Is anybody here?" he called out, his voice echoing throughout the area. No one answered his call. His arms, which were bound over his head, were aching fiercely. He struggled against the manacles binding his wrists, but they were fastened much too tightly for him to be able to slip out of them. Finally, after what seemed like an endless period of time, he could hear the sound of approaching footsteps. He felt his heartbeat speed up as his adrenaline kicked in and he waited for his unknown visitor. The footsteps seemed to take forever to arrive, but finally they halted and the ominous creek of the door being opened reverberated throughout the cell. He found himself holding his breath as he waited and then breathed a sigh of relief when the man's identity was finally revealed to him. It was his father._

"_Dad...thank God...I need your help." _

_DiNozzo Sr.'s face was expressionless as he approached his son. "Anthony," he stated coldly as he stopped in front of Tony and just stood there, staring at the younger man._

"_Dad? What's wrong?" Tony asked a little bit nervous at the way his father was looking at him. "Don't you have a key? Call Gibbs...he'll be able to get me free."_

"_Call Gibbs?" At that, DiNozzo Sr. started laughing, but it was an evil laughter which sent a chill down Tony's spine as he watched his father's eyes become dark and angry. "Your precious Gibbs will never come to rescue you. I've taken care of that."_

"_Wh...what are you talking about?" Tony asked as a cold fear began to settle in his belly. "What did you do? Where is he?"_

"_Dead." DiNozzo Sr, smiled malevolently, enjoying the obvious pain in his son's eyes._

_Tony shook his head as he looked back at his father in disbelief. "No...you wouldn't do that...you couldn't..."_

"_Well, I suppose in one respect you're right," DiNozzo Sr. stated. "I didn't actually pull the trigger myself, but I found a very capable man to do the job for me. People will do just about anything you want them to if the price is right. Gibbs never even knew what hit him. One shot through his head was all it took. The only thing that would have made it better would have been for you to see it happen in living color. I know how you enjoy your dramatic movies. I do wish I had thought to videotape it for you."_

"_No. I don't believe you." Even as he uttered the words though, Tony knew that his father was telling the truth. "How could you?"_

"_How could I? You dare to ask me that?" DiNozzo Sr. aimed a strong punch at Tony's head, sending it crashing back against the stone wall. "That's what you like, isn't it? The hits to the head he gives you? Well how did that feel? Can I do it as well as he could?" _

"_Dad...please..." Tony's head was spinning as he stared back at the monster who was his father. "What are you doing? I'm your son..."_

"_Yes, Anthony," DiNozzo Sr. nodded. "You are my son, but by birth only. Maybe you should have thought of that before you chose a new father to replace me. Maybe if you had, Gibbs wouldn't be lying on a table down in Ducky's autopsy lab right now, but you made your choice and now I have made mine. _

"_What choice?" Tony asked, already quite aware of what was about to happen._

"_I think you know that, son." DiNozzo Sr. reached down under his jacket and pulled a dagger from a sheath attached to his belt. "Nice, isn't it?" he asked as he lightly fingered the gleaming metal of the blade. "It's Italian. Look at the intricate detail on the handle. Only the best for my boy."_

_Tony stared at the long blade and made one last desperate effort to try to free himself, but it was futile. "How can you do this?" he asked as his father menacingly drew closer to him. I...I don't understand..."_

"_Understand this...I am only doing what you did to me. You cut my heart out, and now I am going to cut out yours. This is your fault, Anthony...all your fault. You and Gibbs can rot in hell together for all eternity..." With that, DiNozzo Sr. lunched at Tony, aiming the dagger right at the center of Tony's chest._

xxxxx

"Noooooooo!"

Tony's scream immediately awoke Gibbs who had fallen into a light doze. "Tony? DiNozzo, wake up. Its just a dream." He gently shook Tony's shoulder, trying to ease him out of this latest nightmare. Tony awoke with a gasp and stared up at Gibbs in obvious terror, still very much caught up in the dream.

"Bo...boss? Is that really you? I thought...I thought you were dead..." Instinctively, Tony flung himself into Gibbs'arms and hugged the older man tightly.

"Its okay, Tony," Gibbs murmured softly as he returned the embrace. He could feel Tony's entire body shaking as he held him. "You're safe...I've got you..."

They stayed that way for a few more moments before Tony was entirely back in the present and realized he was hugging his boss. 'Shit.' Feeling unbelievably awkward, Tony pulled back from Gibbs as he felt the heat rising to his cheeks. "Sorry, boss," he mumbled, keeping his head down, unable to look up and meet Gibbs' gaze.

"You've got nothing to be sorry about, DiNozzo," Gibbs said quietly. "Tony? Tony look at me." Finally Tony looked up and met Gibbs' eyes, his face still red with embarrassment. "You want to talk about it?"

Tony quickly shook his head, lowering his gaze once again. Gibbs sighed softly. This was not going to be easy. "Come on. DiNozzo...talk to me," he said, a little more firmly.

"This...this is all my fault, boss..."

Gibbs shook his head in frustration. Damn it. This was entirely the opposite of the way he wanted things to go. "How is it your fault?"

Tony remained silent as he stared down at the blankets covering him. He felt awkward and emotional and so very messed up. He wanted to be anywhere other than where he was at that moment.

"Tony? How is it your fault?" Gibbs repeated.

Tony opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His eyes started roaming around the room, looking anywhere other than at Gibbs. He saw the pile of his DVDs on the nightstand and what was likely cold soup and warm Jell-O on the tray by his bed. Both looked extremely unappealing to him now and he felt his stomach flip flop at the thought of eating them.

"Tony...talk to me," Gibbs pleaded. Tony briefly made eye contact with Gibbs when he heard the tone in his voice. It wasn't a tone he heard often and he had never heard it directed at him. sometimes at Abby or maybe a child, but never at him.

"I'd really like to be alone..." If he could just get Gibbs out of here, maybe he could get himself back together again. His father was right to be jealous. He was always trying to latch onto other people as fathers when he had a perfectly good father of his own. So what if his father had batted him around a little bit? A lot of it had probably been his own fault. It was no excuse to turn his back on the man. First he had wanted Chris' dad to be his father and now Gibbs. It was pathetic really. He was pathetic. His body felt ice cold and he started to shiver. He pulled the blankets up around him and wrapped his arms around his chest. Why was Gibbs still here? "I said..."

"I heard what you said, but I'm not going anywhere...Not this time..."

Damn...damn....damn... Tony closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he tried to clear his mind and calm himself down. He couldn't do it though. Instead of a clear mind, unfamiliar images began invading his thoughts... He and Gibbs in a room, Gibbs holding him...Gibbs comforting him...

He popped his eyes open and looked back at Gibbs who hadn't moved an inch from his side. "I think I'm starting to remember."

"Yeah? That's good. What do you remember?" Gibbs asked supportively.

"I...we were in a small room. I was really sick. I think you were trying to keep me warm."

Gibbs nodded, a faint smile on his lips. "That all happened. What else?"

"Uh...Tony struggled to recall more details. "A fire?" he questioned uncertainly.

"Yes, there was a fire. Anything else?"

Tony tried to remember more, but that was all he could recall. He shook his head in discouragement. "No...no that's it."

"You did really well, Tony. Really well." Gibbs clasped his shoulder and smiled encouragingly. "The rest of it will come back too...you'll see."

Tony nodded, his expression downcast, not even attempting to return Gibbs' smile. "Yeah...yeah, I guess so." He wasn't really sure if it mattered whether or not he remembered. It all just seemed kind of pointless.

Gibbs looked back at Tony with more than a little bit of concern. This was a far cry from the wise cracking agent he was used to. Tony was sullen and seemed to be depressed. Gibbs supposed this was all normal after all he had been through and the fact that he was still sick. It was still disconcerting though and very worrisome.

"Tony...you said this was all your fault." Gibbs didn't want to press too hard, but he really wanted to try to figure out what was tormenting him so badly. "What's your fault? What were you talking about?"

Tony shrugged. "I don't remember, boss. I was just rambling, I guess. Where did all my DVDs come from?"

Gibbs had to fight not to roll his eyes at Tony's blatantly obvious attempt to change the subject. "Abby and McGee brought them by."

"Yeah? That was nice of them." He didn't ask why they hadn't come in to visit. He figured that was pretty clear.

I thought that maybe tomorrow you'll feel up to some visitors."

"Yeah...yeah that'd be good, boss," he said automatically. His mind started drifting to thoughts of his father in a cell. He knew the man wouldn't be very happy about it. He couldn't believe that any of this had really happened. It just didn't seem real. It didn't make sense why his father would have taken him from the hospital. Why had he ever been here to begin with?

"Why was he here?" he asked, focusing his eyes on Gibbs once more.

"Huh?" Gibbs looked at Tony in confusion. "Why was who where, DiNozzo?" He had absolutely no idea what his agent was referring to.

"My father...why was he in town?"

"He got a call from the kidnappers. He brought money for your ransom..."

Tony's look of confusion matched Gibbs.' "I thought we were kidnapped because Belling...that guy wanted revenge against you? I didn't know there was a ransom."

Gibbs sighed heavily. This was much too complicated to explain. The guys who kidnapped you worked for Bellingham. They killed him and then called your father about the ransom.

"Oh...so my father brought them the money?"

"Yeah, yeah Tony he did, but..."

"So he must have really wanted me back but now he's in custody?"

"Tony..."

"What if I don't press charges?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Doesn't matter, DiNozzo. This isn't up to you. Everyone knows what happened. There was a manhunt...witnesses. He isn't getting out of this scot free."

Tony shook his head miserably. He knew all this, but it didn't help the conflict he felt inside or the huge knot in his stomach. "I think...I think I'm going to try to sleep now, boss..." It was the only way he could think of to try to escape everything that was going on, if even for only a little while.

"Okay, Tony...you do that...I'll be right here." He wasn't sure, at this point, if that would even be considered a good thing or a bad thing in Tony's eyes, but he did know that he couldn't leave him alone...not now, not yet. He just hoped the younger man would be able to have some rest, undisturbed by nightmares, and that things would look a little bit better when he woke up. It was the very least that Tony deserved.


	24. Chapter 24

**AN1: Here's the next chapter, everybody. Thanks so much for the amazing reviews. You're all really great and know how to keep a person motivated. I'm not sure if I responded to everyone personally for the last chapter. I think I did, but its possible I didn't, so if I missed you, it was nothing personal and totally inadvertent.**

**Special Thanks to: WCUGirl, Sparkiebunny, Pandi19, LongLashes1, vanishingp2000, sarahsrr, Rena-Spatz, faldo, NikaDex, Meilea 2010, combatcrazy, peanutmeg, diana teo AZGirl, NickTonyK, Tiffany331, Julie250, Tacpebs, Gaddkzmp, Stroma, medicgirl, anci2506, NCIS-TIVA-FAN, shirik, carismum, TheNaggingCube, newgal, and GibbsGirlAbby. Thanks to all of you :)**

**xxxxx**

"Good morning, McGee," Ziva smiled at the young agent who was already working hard at his desk.

"Good morning, Ziva," McGee greeted her as he looked up from his computer.

"No Gibbs this morning?" Ziva asked, looking at Gibbs' empty desk as she got herself settled in her own area. "I thought perhaps he might be here today."

Tim shook his head. "No, I doubt he'll be here, at least not for very long. He's still staying with Tony."

Ziva looked at Tim in surprise. "Really? I did not expect to hear that. I thought Tony was doing better?"

"Yeah, he is…physically anyhow," Tim replied.

"What exactly does that mean?" Ziva asked.

"It means Tony has gone through a lot…he's having some problems dealing with everything," Tim explained.

"I always thought Tony to be quite strong emotionally," Ziva stated. "I would have thought this would have jumped off his back."

"Bounced off his back," Tim corrected automatically. "And Tony is strong, but this would be a lot for anyone to cope with, even Tony…"

Ziva nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I suppose you are right, McGee. Can Tony have visitors?"

Tim nodded. "Gibbs said he could probably have visitors today. I think Abby and I are going to go see him on our lunch. You're welcome to join us if you'd like. Hopefully we can cheer him up."

"Yes, I would like to come," Ziva said, eager to see for herself how Tony was really doing.

xxxxx

Tony began coughing as he awoke. Still half asleep, he struggled to sit up so as to better be able to clear his lungs from the bothersome mucous. When the coughing had abated he reached for the water pitcher on the tray, but found it to be empty. "Damn it," he said hoarsely, slamming the pitcher down in frustration.

"DiNozzo? What's wrong?"

Tony jumped slightly, startled by Gibbs' voice. He had forgotten he was in the room. He glanced over at the other bed where Gibbs was just sitting up. "Nothing's wrong, boss," he said wearily.

"Something's wrong, Dinozzo," Gibbs stated.

"Just want some water, that's all, no big deal." He pressed the call button, making sure Gibbs saw him do it.

"I could have gotten it for you."

"Not your job, boss. Speaking of your job, shouldn't you maybe think about getting back to it?"

Gibbs glanced at Tony in surprise. Obviously he had woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. "I'll get back to it soon enough. You don't need to be worrying about it."

"I'm not."

The door to his room opened and Dr. Kennedy strolled in. "Good morning, Tony. How are you doing today?"

"I'm doing fine. When can I get out of here?" Tony asked as the doctor began examining him with the stethoscope.

"We're not quite ready to talk about that yet," Dr. Kennedy said, chuckling. He completed the exam then picked up Tony's chart and began flipping through the pages. "You haven't eaten anything yet?" he asked. "Are you still feeling nauseous?"

"No," Tony said, shaking his head.

"Why aren't you eating then?" Dr. Kennedy glanced over at Gibbs who just shrugged his shoulders. He definitely wasn't getting involved. This was between DiNozzo and the doctor.

"I don't know…I just didn't feel like it yesterday. I'll eat today," Tony replied, trying to keep his annoyance in check. He just wanted to be home, by himself, in his own bed.

"Okay. You really need to be eating so you can get your strength back," the doctor said as he made a few notations in the chart.

Tony had to force himself not to snap at the doctor that he wasn't stupid and knew he had to eat. He had no idea why he was so short-tempered this morning. He had slept well enough and had not had any more nightmares, at least not that he remembered. Finally, the doctor left and there was an awkward silence in the room. Tony kept his attention focused on the wall, but he could feel Gibbs' eyes on him. "What?" he finally snapped, as he turned his head to glare at Gibbs, unable to stand the silence any longer.

Gibbs shrugged. "I didn't say anything."

"No, but you're thinking it."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Tony." Gibbs hadn't slept all that well and truthfully was not in the best frame of mind himself. He knew Tony had been through a lot, but he had witnessed it all and was doing the best he could to help him. He frankly wasn't in the mood for attitude.

Tony didn't bother to answer. He didn't know what he was talking about either. He only knew that he felt really irritable, like the walls were closing in on him. Gibbs eyed him closely, realizing that he was going to have to make the first move here. He could tell that DiNozzo was closing himself off and he wanted to prevent that if he could. He got up off the bed and slowly stretched before making his way over to the now very familiar chair by Tony's bedside. Tony watched out of the corner of his eye as Gibbs approached and he could feel himself beginning to tense up. Gibbs couldn't help but notice his agent's reaction to him. It was not like him at all. "Tony? What's troubling you?"

Tony was silent for a few long moments and then he finally spoke. "I don't really know, boss…"

"Have you been remembering more?" Gibbs asked softly, glad that Tony was at least attempting to be civil now.

"No…not really," Tony said with a shrug.

"Is this about your father?"

The question hung in the air between them. Finally Tony shook his head. "No…"

"It must be."

"What do you want me to say, boss?" Tony snapped. "That I'm happy about all of this? Well, I'm not. I'm not very happy about any of it."

Gibbs nodded. "I wouldn't think that was a very normal reaction if you were happy about it, Tony."

"Mr. DiNozzo? You buzzed for a nurse? What can I do for you?" a very perky nurse asked with a smile as she walked into the room. Under normal circumstances, Tony would have flirted shamelessly with her, but these were not normal circumstances and flirting was the furthest thing from his mind.

"Could I get some ice water, please?" Tony asked.

"Of course you can," she replied as she picked up the pitcher. "Is there anything else you need?"

Tony shook his head. "No thanks, just the water."

"Okay, I'll be right back," she said, flashing a bright smile again.

Gibbs couldn't help but notice the interaction or rather lack of interaction between DiNozzo and the nurse. "She was pretty cute, don't you think?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess," Tony shrugged, obviously not at all interested.

"So, I think Abby and McGee are coming to see you today. I'm sure Ducky and Ziva will be here at some point too."

"That's good," Tony said, trying to act excited about it, but failing to pull it off.

"Tony...will you please talk to me?" Gibbs asked.

Just then, Sandra, the dietary aide who had been with Bonnie the day before, came into the room with two trays. She placed one on Tony's bedside table and the other she brought over to Gibbs. "Agent Gibbs, Dr. Kennedy asked that I bring this to you. and I wanted to apologize to you and Mr. DiNozzo about what happened yesterday. I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am."

"It's okay." Tony said quickly. He definitely didn't want to talk about it.

"So, did they get rid of her?" Gibbs asked. Tony turned his head sharply. He didn't want some dumb kid who made a mistake fired because of him.

"No..." Sandra said, obviously uncomfortable. "She's been temporarily suspended pending a board review. I'm pretty sure someone will be up to discuss the incident with both of you."

"That's good," Gibbs said, nodding. Tony said nothing. He was starting to feel like a one man wrecking crew. This girl might lose her job because of him and his father was in jail because of him.

"Okay...well enjoy your breakfast," Sandra said before she practically flew from the room.

Tony lifted the lid off the tray and found a liquid breakfast, clear broth, Jell-O and ginger ale. He made a face and looked much more interested in what Gibbs had, toast, bacon, eggs and orange juice. "I don't suppose I can convince you to share?" he asked, giving Gibbs a pleading look.

Gibbs actually considered it. He really couldn't blame Tony for not wanting what they had given him. "I'd like to, Tony," he finally said reluctantly, "but you haven't had anything for days and you've been pretty sick to your stomach. I think you need to start off easy. You'll be back on solid food before you know it."

"Yeah...okay..." Tony absently twirled his spoon around in the broth before finally taking a few spoonfuls. "This doesn't taste like anything," he complained, giving forlorn looks at Gibbs' breakfast. For his part, Gibbs was wishing the doctor hadn't sent him in the tray because it was just making him feel guilty to be eating in front of DiNozzo.

Tony finally finished the broth and then started on the Jell-O which at least had some taste to it. "Well that was just wonderful," he said when he had finished the questionable food on the tray.

"Maybe they'll give you something more substantial for lunch," Gibbs said.

"Doubtful…" Tony sighed and played around with his blankets. "You know, boss...I'm doing better. You really don't have to stay here..."

"I know I don't have to, Tony...I want to."

"Why? I don't need a baby-sitter," Tony said. "I'm not going to do anything stupid if that's what you're thinking..."

Gibbs shook his head. "I wasn't thinking that, Tony, and I know you don't need a baby-sitter...I just...I'm staying with you because I care about you, Tony. I know you don't remember most of what's happened to us, but, it was pretty intense and I would just feel better if I'm here with you right now, okay?"

"You care about me?" Tony asked, very surprised to hear Gibbs admit something like that. It wasn't a very Gibbs thing to do.

"Of course I care about you, DiNozzzo," Gibbs snapped. "Is that really such a surprise to you?"

"No...yes...I don't know," Tony shrugged as he stared down at the bed.

Gibbs took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. This was the opportunity he had been looking for, to tell Tony how much he meant to him. It was just so damn hard to express his feelings. He did so sometimes with Abby, and Ducky knew what he meant to him, but he mostly communicated with Tony through orders and head slaps. They did share the occasional dinner, but it wasn't like they had touchy-feely conversations.

Tony was feeling more and more awkward as he waited for Gibbs to say something. He shifted uncomfortably and started coughing as he reached for the half-full glass of lukewarm ginger ale. He was still waiting for the nurse to bring him the water. Obviously she had forgotten about it.

"Are you alright, DiNozzo?"

Tony nodded as he took a few sips and placed the glass back on the tray. "I'm okay, boss."

Gibbs knew he was making everything worse by not saying anything. "Tony...the past few days...well, they've made me realize how important it is to tell people what they mean to you. There were a few times when I didn't think you were going to make it...

"I'm going to be fine."

"Yeah, I know you are now," Gibbs said with a nod, "but I still need to tell you this."

"Okay." Obviously, this was pretty important to Gibbs so Tony figured he was just going to have to wait him out.

"We've worked together for a long time now...there's no one I would trust more to watch my back than you."

Tony nodded. "I'm always on your six, boss...same way I know you're always on mine."

"Didn't do so good with that this time, DiNozzo," Gibbs admitted.

"I don't think that's true...I still don't remember a whole lot about what we went through, but I do know you were right by my side, taking care of me. I'd trust you with my life, boss."

Gibbs nodded, forcing himself to voice what he was feeling in his heart. "I'm glad, Tony…because I'd do just about anything for you...and not just because you're a member of my team. You're family, DiNozzo. I feel for you the same way I'd feel towards my own son..."


	25. Chapter 25

**AN1: Thanks so much, as always, for your incredible support for this story. This chapter was a little bit frustrating as I ended up losing quite a bit of it due to a computer glitch and had to rewrite part of it which is never fun. In any case, here is the next part. I hope you enjoy it :)**

**Special Thanks: WCUGirl, Sparkiebunny, pandi19, sarahsrr, Rena-Spatz, vanishingp2000, carismum, Graphicmaker1, Gaddkzmp, NikaDex, diana teo, Meilea2010, anci2506, medicgirl, NickTonyK, Gloworm41, Space1Traveler, AZGirl, ihearttony, combatcrazy, Stroma, faldo, twomoms, NCISTIVA-FAN, GibbsGirlAbby, Tacpebs, Gibbs4Eva, TheNaggingCube, angeleyes46, godsdaughter77, jgomez921, newgal, shirik, and Detour.**

xxxxx

Tony's eyes widened as he listened to Gibbs' words. He never would have dreamed Gibbs would feel like that about him. He very badly wanted to return the sentiment, to tell Gibbs that he was like a father to him, but he just couldn't do it. He didn't deserve for Gibbs to care about him that way. His real father didn't even care about him. He just wasn't worthy of having a father. He could see that Gibbs was waiting for a response. He had to say something. So he did. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate that."

Sir? What the hell? Gibbs stared back at Tony, feeling shell-shocked. Obviously he had misread this whole situation badly...very badly. Hell, DiNozzo had never spoken to him so formally, not even when they had first met. The younger man was beginning to put up impenetrable walls all around himself. "Tony? Come on, please talk to me. Tell me what's going on with you." He put his hand on Tony's shoulder and could feel his agent tense up under his touch, but he didn't let go of him.

"Nothing's going on. I'm perfectly fine," Tony stated, expressionlessly.

"Damn it, DiNozzo, I'm not dropping this," Gibbs said, just before Nurse Perky stepped back into the room. Damn. This place was busier than Grand Central Station.

"I am so sorry to have taken so long," Mr. DiNozzo," she said with a smile. "There was an emergency and I had to take care of that first."

"That's okay, don't worry about it," Tony said, watching as she poured him a cup of ice water then handed it to him. "Mmm...thanks," he said after he gratefully took a few sips.

"Are you sure there isn't anything else I can do for you?" she practically purred as she straightened out his covers.

"No thank you," Tony said politely and Gibbs knew things were definitely very off with his senior field agent. There was no way Tony could resist flirting with this pretty nurse if all was well with him.

"Okay, just buzz if you need me," she said, giving him another dazzling smile before walking out of the room.

"Well…I'm really tired...I think I'm going to get some sleep," Tony said after the nurse had closed the door behind her.

"No way, DiNozzo..."

"What does that mean?" Tony asked as he unsuccessfully tried to fluff up one of the flat pillows that were propped up behind him. "I'm tired, boss."

"Don't really care," Gibbs responded. Tony didn't look the least bit tired to him. "You can sleep after we talk. It shouldn't take long."

"You can't tell me what to do," Tony grumbled under his breath.

"Wanna bet?" Gibbs bit back a smile, glad to see Tony still had a little bit of stubbornness in him.

Tony rolled his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest defensively as he glared back at Gibbs.

"Come on, Tony," Gibbs said. "This is for your own good."

"How do you know what that is?" Tony asked. "I can decide that for myself."

"Usually I'd be tempted to agree with you," said Gibbs, "but not right now. You're not yourself."

"You said yourself that I've been through a lot, boss. "Wouldn't that have some kind of effect on me?"

"Yeah it would, Tony," Gibbs said with a sigh, "but this is much more than that."

"Whatever," Tony just shook his head and stared down at his legs. Gibbs wasn't going to give up. He knew that, but it didn't mean he had to make it easy for him.

Gibbs looked back at his sullen agent not at all sure what to say to him. He was at a loss how to handle this. He'd never seen DiNozzo acting this way. "This all has to do with your father," he finally said. It was a statement, not a question.

"No it doesn't," Tony said sharply.

"Yeah it does, Tony."

There was another long period of silence before Tony spoke again. "What do you want from me?" Tony asked with a small hitch in his voice. Gibbs couldn't help but notice how young he sounded.

"I want you to tell me what's going on up here," Gibbs said, tapping Tony's head very lightly. "I told you that you're like a son to me and you responded like I was a stranger you'd never met before. Talk to me..."

Tony said nothing...he just sat there wishing he could just disappear into thin air.

"I'm not leaving." He and DiNozzo had been through too much together for him to give up now. He would wait his agent out as long as he had to. He was pretty sure Tony would be unable to remain silent for too long.

In actuality, Tony was starting to feel a little bit sleepy. Covering his mouth with his hand as he yawned, he wondered if Gibbs would head slap him if he really was to fall asleep. Tony was unsure exactly how long the silence went on, but it seemed to stretch on endlessly. "It's all my fault," Tony finally blurted out.

"What is?" Gibbs asked.

"My father being in jail...it's my fault...

"No...it's his fault, not yours."

"He only came here because of the ransom. If it hadn't been for that, he wouldn't have gotten into trouble."

"Come on, Tony...you didn't force him to take you out of the hospital. He didn't have to do that. He could have done what a real father would do...he could have sat with you in the hospital. Taking you out of there was not in your best interests, and what happened afterwards...there is no excuse for that..."

"You don't understand..."

"Enlighten me."

He was jealous. I wasn't being loyal to him."

"Jealous? He's not a child, Tony."

"Still... I should have..."

"Should have what?"

Tony shook his head miserably. "I don't know...something..."

Gibbs put his hand under DiNozzo's chin and tilted it upward so he could look into the younger man's eyes. "You did nothing wrong here...nothing. He hurt you. It was all him."

"He didn't mean to hurt me..."

Gibbs shook his head slowly. Tony just looked so sad and lost. "You know better than that, Tony...You're an agent...you were a cop. How many times have you heard that excuse after a crime has been committed? That the perp didn't mean to hurt someone or, god forbid, kill them..."

"He wouldn't have..."

"He hurt you, Tony...he could have killed you...I know you don't remember, but I do. I saw it and I'm sorry, but I just can't just forget it. Like I said before, you're like my own son. Nobody hurts you and gets away with it..."

"I'm not a good choice for a son, boss," Tony stated softly. "You'd be better off with McGee. He...he's really smart, a lot smarter than me. He'd be a great son for you..." Tony lowered his head, not daring to meet Gibbs'eyes, not wanting to see the disappointment in them.

Gibbs looked at Tony in dismay. It was like someone had taken a magic wand and zapped all of the self confidence and self worth right out of his senior field agent. "Tony, look at me," he ordered quietly, sighing to himself when he got no reaction whatsoever. "DiNozzo...look at me," he demanded, much louder and was rewarded with Tony lifting his head and looking back at Gibbs.

"First of all, McGee is not smarter than you," Gibbs stated. "He knows more about computers than you do, but he knows more than most people know, not just you. Hell, I don't know a damn thing about computers. Are you saying I'm stupid? Secondly, even if he was smarter, what does that have to do with anything? I care about every member of my field team, DiNozzo, but I feel a special connection with you. I didn't make a conscious decision to feel that way...its just there...Its a part of me. You mean the world to me, Tony…you are family."

Tony gave Gibbs a sideward glance as he thought back to his earlier words, about how a real father would have sat with him in the hospital, not taken him out of there. It was just what Gibbs had been doing, staying with him, taking care of him before they had been rescued. Gibbs was more of a father to him than his own father could ever hope to be. He knew his father had been selfish and that taking him from the hospital had been for his father's purposes, not out of any real desire to help Tony...or any real love for him...as much as that hurt to admit. Gibbs was right, he could have ended up dead. Even if his father hadn't attacked him, he had belonged in the hospital, not in some house his father had rented. He still felt an element of guilt though and the desire for his father's approval which he knew he was never going to get. "I...I feel that way too, boss. I...I really appreciate the way you've been taking care of me. You...you're the father I never had...you've given me much more than I deserve..."

"Not true, Tony," Gibbs said, gently rubbing the younger man's back. "You deserve that and a whole lot more. Don't be selling yourself short..."

"Okay, boss...I'll try..." He still had a hard time understanding why Gibbs felt the way he did. When your own father treated you like crap, it didn't really make you feel worthy of anyone's attention,

"Try hard, DiNozzo..." Gibbs could still see the doubt in Tony's eyes. Damn, his father had really done a job on him.

"I will..." Tony nodded and tried to hold back another yawn, but failed. The emotional conversation had left him feeling totally wiped out.

"You should get some sleep."

"Yeah, probably a good idea, boss." Tony shifted his position so that he was lying on his side, facing Gibbs.

"You still feel like some company later on?" Gibbs asked, unsure if the conversation had taken too much out of Tony for him to feel up to visitors.

"Yeah, that'd be good." He wanted to see his friends. It would make him feel more normal, plus he missed them.

"Okay. I'll call Abby and let her know. Is there anything you want them to bring you?"

"Some real food to eat?" Tony asked, looking at Gibbs beseechingly.

Gibbs hesitated as he looked back at Tony. "I don't know..."

Tony saw Gibbs' hesitation. "Aw, please, boss?"

Gibbs nodded. "I'll see if she can bring you something light."

"Thanks." Tony smiled which made Gibbs feel better. Smiles from DiNozzo were few and far between as of late.

Gibbs decided to wait until Tony was asleep before making the call to Abby and the two settled into a comfortable silence. Tony was practically asleep when he spoke again. "You know...I'm going to have to see him," he said looking at Gibbs drowsily.

"What? Who?" Gibbs could feel his heartbeat quicken, knowing full well who his agent was referring to.

"My father..." Tony replied. "I have to..."

Gibbs shook his head. "Not right now, DiNozzo...No way in hell."

"When I'm better...when I get out of here...It's something I have to do...You can't stop me boss..." Overcome with exhaustion, Tony's eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep. As Gibbs studied the younger man's sleeping form, all he wanted was to be able to protect him, to keep him out of harm's way. Tony was right...he couldn't stop him. One thing was certain though...Gibbs was going to pay a visit to DiNozzo Sr. before Tony got anywhere near the man...


	26. Chapter 26

**Thanks so much for your reviews and support for this story. As always, it is so much appreciated. Gibbs and Senior are finally meeting up in this chapter (though it might not go as you expect lol).**

**Special thanks: WCUGirl, Sparkiebunny, LongLashes1, Space1Traveler, Sarahsrr, Rena-Spatz, vanishingp2000, AZGirl, NikaDex, NickTonyK, Meilea2010, medicgirl, Gloworm41, godsdaughter77, combatcrazy, Gaddkzmp, NCIS-TIVA-FAN, Tacpebs, anci2506, GibbsRules, julie250, Stroma, newgal, GibbsGirlAbby, Diana teo, peanutmeg, Jessykuh, CSIGeekFan, angeleyes46, shirik and Detour.**

****Warning - this chapter contains a sexual reference which some may find inappropriate. **

xxxxx

"Tony!" Abby squealed as she bounced into Tony's room and headed for his bed. Tony flinched, anticipating the impact, but, surprisingly, Abby slowed down right before she got to him and she gave him a gentle hug. "Oh, Tony...I've missed you so much. I've been so worried about you."

"Hey, Abby, I've missed you too," Tony said as he returned her embrace, a genuine smile on his face. "I've missed all of you, even you, McGeek." He grinned at Tim and Ziva who had entered the room after Abby.

"Better be nice, Tony or you won't get this milkshake or what's in this bag," Tim said, brandishing the items in front of Tony.

"A milkshake?" Gibbs asked as he turned towards Abby who had curled up on the bed beside Tony. "I thought I told you to get him something light?"

"My fault, boss," Tony said as he put his arm around Abby and she settled her head contentedly on his shoulder. "I gave her a call when you had to hit the head. Asked her to bring me one."

"He was so sad and pitiful, Gibbs," Abby said. "You wouldn't have been able to say no to him either."

"Wouldn't be too sure of that, Abs," Gibbs said with a look of barely disguised amusement on his face.

"He's right, Abby," Tony said, grinning at Gibbs. "He ate a big breakfast right in front of me this morning, didn't offer me so much as a crumb."

"Don't blame me if you get sick, DiNozzo," Gibbs said, shaking his head as Tim handed the shake to Tony.

"Won't get sick, boss." Tony eagerly ripped the wrapper off the straw then stuck it through the slit in the cover of the cup. He took a small sip of the shake and closed his eyes blissfully. "Oh my God...this is soooo good. Now what's in the bag, Probie? Sorry, I mean Tim?"

Tim gave Tony an amused smile as he gave him the bag.

"It's a turkey sandwich," Abby stated before Tony could get the bag open. She glanced at Gibbs. "I figured that wouldn't be too much for him."

"So, how are you feeling, Tony?" Tim asked. He had been pretty worried about Tony and it was good to see him looking so much better than he had anticipated.

"I'm definitely doing better than I was," Tony stated as he took a large mouthful of the sandwich. "And thanks for bringing me this. You could die of starvation in this place." He glanced at Ziva who had remained in the background and had yet to speak. "Ziva, I can't even see you over there behind McGee. Come over here."

A subdued-appearing Ziva came out from behind Tim and dropped a light kiss on Tony's cheek. "Hello, Tony," she said quietly. "I am glad to see that you are feeling better. I have been quite concerned about you."

"No need to worry your pretty little head about me anymore," Tony stated. "I'll be back at work in no time."

"First you need to worry about getting out of here, DiNozzo," Gibbs said. "One thing at a time." He was glad to see Tony seeming so much better, but appearances could be deceiving. He was not about to let him go rushing back to work before he was truly ready.

"I'll be out of here before you know it, boss. You'll see."

Gibbs nodded. Seeing that Tony was in good hands, he decided to take the opportunity to head back to headquarters. His visit with DiNozzo Sr. was long overdue. "I need to take care of some paperwork. Why don't you take a long lunch and hang out with DiNozzo for a while," he said casually.

"We'll take good care of him, Gibbs," Abby said as she gave Tony another hug.

McGee and Ziva exchanged glances. "Are you sure you do not want one of us to accompany you?" Ziva asked in a low voice, Tony was laughing at something Abby had said and wasn't paying attention to them.

"I'm sure, Ziva. You stay here with Tony. I shouldn't be too long." He walked over to Tony and gently clasped his shoulder. "You take it easy, DiNozzo. I'll be back in a while."

"Okay. I'll see you later, boss."

Gibbs gave a final fond look at his agent and the little group surrounding him, then headed off for his confrontation with Tony's father.

xxxxx

"Well, well, well...Agent Gibbs...I wondered when you were going to show up," DiNozzo Sr. greeted Gibbs, his voice as smooth as silk. He was seated at the table in the interrogation room, appearing perfectly calm. "It's about time. The accommodations here are a bit lacking."

"DiNozzo," Gibbs stated flatly, making a concerted effort to keep his emotions under control when his first instinct was to bash the man's face in. "Just to let you know, this isn't being recorded. Today, its just you and me..."

"Is that for my protection or yours?"

A slight smile flickered over Gibbs' lips. "I can tape it if you want me to," he said as he sat down across from the other man.

Senior shook his head. "No, no...that's fine...So, how's my boy doing?" Senior asked with an easy smile.

"Do you even realize how much trouble you're in?" Gibbs growled.

"I asked how my boy was," Senior said with an angry glint in his eye.

"You weren't concerned about that when you were trying to choke the life out of him," Gibbs said fiercely.

"Now that's an exaggeration, Gibbs." Senior smiled again, but it was obviously forced. "I admit I might have gotten a tad carried away with the boy, but I was only trying to help him. He was out of control. I was afraid he might hurt himself."

"That's a lie," Gibbs hissed.

"You weren't there, Agent Gibbs, not for the beginning part. You only saw a tiny piece of what happened."

"I don't believe you for a second, you bastard."

Senior cocked his head and looked at Gibbs with a grin. "Wow...he really has you snowed, doesn't he?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"He was always a very imaginative child, Gibbs. Made up little stories. Cute when you're very young, but then the little tall tales turn into big lies and its not so cute anymore. I'd take anything Anthony tells you with a grain of salt."

"You're a damn liar," Gibbs said, seething.

"Anthony is the damn liar, Gibbs, not me," Senior said with a chuckle. "Maybe you haven't discovered it yet, but you will in time...trust me, you will..."

"Gibbs shook his head in disgust. "You really don't care about him at all, do you?"

"Of course I care about him, Gibbs. He's MY son. I'm just not blinded to his faults the way you seem to be. I see him for what he is."

"You have no idea what he is," Gibbs said softly. He was beginning to really see what kind of a childhood Tony must have had. He couldn't imagine he had ever gotten any affection at all from this man. No wonder Tony was having issues now.

"I know that he jokes around all the time, but underneath he's overly sensitive...insecure...I can crush him if I want to..."

Gibbs listened to Tony's so-called father with a growing sense of horror. Who the hell talked that way about their own child? "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying there are things I can say to him that would squash him like a bug, Gibbs. I'll tell him what a disappointment he's always been to me, that he's good for nothing, worthless, that ever since the day his mother died I wished it was him instead of her...things like that... He's always been so needy, seeking my approval. I had no time for such nonsense. Coddling a child is no way to make him into a man." He paused and rubbed his chin thoughtfully before continuing. "Help me get out of this mess ...I'll go away. I'll leave him alone. I'll tell him how much he means to me, that he's a wonderful son, my pride and joy, blah, blah, blah. Then, I'll make myself scarce. He'll be all yours...That's what you want, isn't it? To have him all to yourself? I don't know why you want him so badly though. Is it a sexual thing, Gibbs? Do you have the hots for my boy?"

Gibbs couldn't take it anymore. Enraged, he flew at Senior, his fist hitting the other man's nose full force. Blood squirted out everywhere. He landed a punch on Senior's jaw, then focused on his torso. He hated this bastard. He didn't care if he killed him. Finally, he felt someone grabbing him from behind. "Jethro, Jethro! ENOUGH!" Ducky shouted. Not willing to risk hurting the older gentleman, Gibbs stopped his assault on Senior.

DiNozzo Sr. stumbled away from Gibbs and fell onto a chair. "Now I know why you didn't want this little session recorded," he snickered despite the pain he was feeling.

"Let's go get him cleaned up." Ducky turned towards Gibbs who hadn't moved. "Jethro, come on." He nudged Gibbs' arm and got him moving, then went over to Tony's father and helped him up off the chair. Luckily the trio didn't encounter anyone else on their way to Autopsy.

"Stay with him while I get my supplies," Ducky ordered.

"So, what do you think about my little offer?" Senior asked as Ducky went to retrieve his bag. He was gingerly rubbing his abdomen. Gibbs really packed a wallop.

Gibbs remained silent.

"You know, Gibbs, if I'm sent to prison, its going to to be local. Anthony will visit me. You know that to be true."

Gibbs didn't respond, but in his heart he knew Senior was right.

"It won't be good for him...I'll tell him things no father should ever say to his son... Little by little..bit by bit...I'll destroy him..."

Gibbs clenched his fists tightly, wanting to go at Senior again, but Ducky was already back with his bag.

"Let's get you tended to, shall we?" Ducky was all business as he proceeded to clean the blood from Senior's face.

Gibbs watched Ducky impassively, unable to stop thinking about what had just happened and the possible ramifications to Tony. More than anything, he wanted this scumbag to pay for what he had done...not only most recently, but for what he was now pretty sure had been years of emotional and he suspected physical abuse as well when Tony was a child. Tony was so vulnerable right now though, much more so than he had ever seen him. If his father was to go to prison who knew what it would do to his agent, especially if Senior carried out his threats. But if he let Senior off the hook, he was essentially letting him get away with everything, including blackmail. It was a lose-lose situation.

Finally, Ducky finished up with Senior and Gibbs silently escorted him back to his cell. "I could get you in a lot of trouble for what you did to me today," Senior said as Gibbs slammed the cell door.

"I don't really care," Gibbs replied.

Senior nodded, trusting Gibbs' words. "I believe you...which is why I won't say anything, but I'd think long and hard about what I said earlier, Gibbs, because I will do it and trust me...it won't be pretty. The boy's a sentimental fool, probably from watching too many of those damn movies he loves so much. He'll keep coming back for more, no matter what I say to him. I'll do more damage than anything you could ever imagine in your wildest dreams..."

Gibbs gave Senior a long, hard stare before abruptly turning away and heading back to Autopsy. The man was pure evil...a monster. Gibbs still needed to talk to O'Connell as well, but he definitely wasn't up for that today.

"Jethro," a grim-faced Ducky greeted him as he walked back into Ducky's lab.

"Hey, Duck."

"How is young Anthony doing today?"

"He's starting to feel better..." Gibbs sighed softly before continuing. "So...how did you know?"

"Ziva called me from the hospital. She suspected you were heading back here to confront Tony's father."

"Father? Really, Ducky? Is that what you'd call him?" Just thinking about what had just happened made Gibbs' blood boil all over again. "How much did you hear, anyhow?"

"Quite a bit...almost all of it," Ducky admitted. "And its lucky I was there, Jethro. You were quite out of control."

"Don't care, Duck," Gibbs said with a shrug. "He deserved every bit of it and more. You heard what he said..."

"I agree that he deserved it, but what if I hadn't been there? How far would you have gone?"

"Does it matter?"

"I think it would have mattered to Anthony a great deal if you had seriously hurt his father or worse. He's supposed to be your main concern, isn't he?"

"You know he is..." Gibbs said quietly.

"Yes, I know how much you care about the boy. But, Jethro, I would urge you to tread very carefully."

Gibbs shook his head slowly, overwhelmed by frustration and the enormity of the decision he had to make. "What should I do, Duck?"

Ducky pondered the question for a few moments, but had no idea what to say to his long time friend. "I don't know, Jethro," he said, giving Gibbs' shoulder an encouraging pat, "but I'm confident you will make the right choice..."


	27. Chapter 27

**Thanks so much for all the reviews and support for this story. As always, I appreciate it more than I can say. You all have been terrific :)**

**Special thanks: WCUGirl, Sparkiebunny, LongLashes1, pandi19, Space1Traveler, NikaDex, Rena-Spatz, sarahsrr, NickTonyK, combatcrazy, Gaddkzmp, godsdaughter77, Gloworm41, Stroma, Tiffany331, medicgirl, peanutmeg, GibbsGirlAbby, Tacpebs, GibbsRules, WildFire203, Meilea2010, NCIS-TIVA-FAN, AZGirl, julie250, newgal, diana teo, anci2506, ihearttony, angeleyes46, BleakRemberance, faldo, Servant05, OlympicStorm, Jessykuh,obfuscate2, Silvanelf, shirik, and annr.**

xxxxx

Gibbs breathed a sigh of relief when he returned to DiNozzo's hospital room and saw Tony, leaning against Abby, fast asleep. Even though he knew Tony was safe, especially with his agents watching over him, the visit with DiNozzo Sr. had left Gibbs feeling very uneasy. Tim and Ziva were talking quietly in the far corner of the room. Abby saw Gibbs and pressed her finger up against her lips. "He dropped off about 15 minutes ago," she whispered.

"Was he still doing okay?" Gibbs asked casting a concerned look at his sleeping agent. "He didn't get sick to his stomach or anything, did he?"

Abby shook her head. "No, he was fine, just sleepy. He looks so sweet when he's asleep, doesn't he? Just like a little boy."

By this time, Ziva and Tim had joined Gibbs and Abby. "He does look sweet," Ziva said with a smile as she nodded in agreement. "He has an innocent look to him when he is asleep."

"Tony? Innocent?" Tim scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I said he looked innocent, McGee. I did not say he was innocent," Ziva whispered. "There is a difference. And do not speak so loudly. You are going to wake him up."

"Alright, you all need to think about getting back to work," Gibbs said quietly. He didn't think Tony would be at all comfortable to awaken and find them all standing there watching him. Thanks for coming. I think it did him some good."

"It was so good to see him," Abby said as she gracefully manipulated herself out from underneath Tony and gently placed his head on the pillow. She then dropped a light kiss on his forehead.

Is everything okay with you, Gibbs?" Ziva asked, giving her team leader a long look.

Gibbs nodded. "Yes, Ziva, everything is fine."

Ziva looked skeptical, not entirely convinced that was true, but she knew Gibbs would only talk about it if he was ready, not beforehand. "Okay then. I guess we will see you soon. Tell Tony we said goodbye."

"And tell him I'll be back to visit him tomorrow," Abby said as she gave Gibbs a hug and he kissed her cheek. "I'll bring him some treats."

"Remember Abs, he's still recovering," Gibbs said. He knew he was maybe being overprotective, but he had witnessed Tony going through hell. He couldn't help it.

"I won't bring him anything dangerous, Gibbs," Abby said, smirking back at him. She loved seeing how caring Gibbs was being with Tony. It was something both men really needed.

I just mean, I don't think you should be bringing him pizza or things like that, even if he asks for it," Gibbs explained. "His stomach has been pretty messed up."

"Don't worry, I won't bring anything too drastic."

They said their goodbyes and Gibbs settled down in his familiar chair next to Tony. The confrontation with his agent's father was still very fresh in his mind. He had no idea what to do. He was considering just telling DiNozzo the whole story, but wasn't sure he could. How could he tell him all those horrible things his father had said? He didn't think he could do it, especially with Tony's current health situation.

"Please don't...Stop! Leave me alone," Tony mumbled in his sleep.

"Shhh...its okay, Tony. Its just a dream," Gibbs murmured. He gently rubbed the younger man's shoulder, trying to soothe him without awakening him.

"I didn't mean to, please don't hit me, dad..."Tony groaned and began to thrash about on the bed. obviously quite distraught.

"Everything's alright, Tony...I'm right here. "You're okay." Tony's words sent an icy chill down the center of Gibbs spine. Of course, it was possible that the visions tormenting his agent were just dreams, though Gibbs suspected there was a lot more to them than that.

Tony opened his eyes and he looked up at Gibbs with a look of pure unadulterated fear. It vanished almost immediately once Tony got his bearings and realized where he was and that Gibbs was with him. "Hey, boss," Tony said a little bit shakily.

"Hey yourself, DiNozzo...are you okay?"

"Yeah...I'm fine...just another bad dream..."

"You want to talk about it?"

Tony shook his head quickly, not meeting Gibbs' eyes. "No...anyway...I don't really remember it..."

Gibbs sighed softly to himself. He could tell that Tony was holding back, but he wasn't about to push him, at least not right now.

"I guess the others left?" Tony asked, noting that the room was once again empty except for him and Gibbs. "I must have fallen asleep on them..."

"Don't worry about it, DiNozzo. They understood."

Tony nodded then looked back at Gibbs. "So...did you finish up your work back at headquarters?"

"For today," Gibbs said a little warily. "I'll probably go back in tomorrow."

"Did you see my father?"

Damn...damn...damn. He did not want to do this right now. He wasn't ready and Tony definitely wasn't ready.

"I guess you did," Tony stated when Gibbs hesitated. "What did he say? Did he ask about me?"

Gibbs nodded, thankful that he could at least answer that question truthfully. "Yeah, he asked about you."

"Well, what else did he say? What's going on with him?" Did he have any explanation for what he did?" Tony's voice rose with each question, his agitation very evident.

"He said he was trying to keep you from hurting yourself."

"But you don't believe him..."

Gibbs shook his head. "No...no, I'm sorry, Tony, but I don't."

Tony nodded and lowered his gaze to stare back down at his legs. He didn't want to talk about his father anymore. He had a feeling the conversation wouldn't go particularly well and he wasn't really up to it.

The two sat there, not speaking, as a long awkward silence began to build between them. "Could you get me a drink, please?" Tony finally asked. "Not water though...something else with ice?"

"Yeah, sure," Gibbs quickly got to his feet, grateful to have a task to occupy him if only for a few minutes. "I'll be right back."

Tony's eyes followed Gibbs as he left the room and then he leaned into the pillows with a small sigh. The nightmare had been much more troubling than he was willing to admit. It brought back memories he had tried to bury long ago. He had no idea why he was having these dreams all of a sudden. Maybe the drugs he had been given had screwed him up more than anyone realized. He refused to consider that his father was causing the nightmares. He wasn't some scared little kid his father could bat around anymore. He was all grown up and he wasn't going to let the past come back at him like that. He was stronger than the memories...they were just memories. They couldn't hurt him anymore.

Gibbs noiselessly came back into the room and he observed his agent from the doorway. Tony was so caught up in whatever he was thinking about that he didn't even hear Gibbs re-enter the room. Gibbs couldn't help but think that Tony resembled a lost little boy.

"Hey, Tony," Gibbs announced his entrance, hoping not to startle the younger man. "Got you a Coke."

"Thanks, boss." Tony accepted the drink from Gibbs and took a long sip before looking back at him. "You know...you really don't have to stay with me tonight. I appreciate everything you've done for me, but I'm sure you'd like to be home in your own bed."

Gibbs shook his head. "I think I'm going to stay here, DiNozzo. Believe it or not, I've actually gotten kind of attached to that hospital bed."

"Yeah right," Tony chuckled. "Don't think I could ever believe that. This bed is as bad as that old crappy mattress you made me stay on in Bellingham's little prison."

"You were freezing cold."

"Yeah I know, boss, but even so...that thing was gross. Who knows who did what on it."

Tony wrinkled his nose up in disgust.

Gibbs realized that Tony was beginning to recall details of what had happened to them. "You're remembering, Tony..."

"Huh?" Tony gave Gibbs a baffled look and then realized what he was talking about. Memories which had been lost were suddenly coming back to him. "I remember what happened to us..." Tony shuddered slightly as he recalled Bellingham injecting the unknown contents of the syringe into his arm.

"All of it?" Gibbs asked. This was definitely a good sign.

Tony closed his eyes and thought back, just letting the memories come to him. "I remember the undercover case ending and you inviting me to your house, then Bellingham and his goons waiting there for us. We were cuffed and they took us to the lab and locked us in that room. Bellingham drugged me...then when I wasn't dying fast enough for him, he was going to finish the job." At this point Tony was breathing faster and his face was visibly more pale.

"Tony, that's enough," Gibbs said, growing more concerned. "You don't have to push it, you did good."

Tony opened his eyes and looked back at Gibbs. "I'm okay. I want to do this."

Gibbs hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Okay...just be careful..."

Tony closed his eyes again and as the images filled his mind, he continued his recitation. "Sheldon blew Bellingham's brains out and they took us to the cabin..." He opened his eyes again. "I was really sick..."

Gibbs nodded. "Yeah, you were..."

""You never left my side...you were always taking care of me..."

"Well, we were handcuffed together," Gibbs quipped, trying to lighten the moment.

"I...I really appreciate what you did for me, boss," Tony said, his green eyes intently fixed on Gibbs. "Thank you..."

"You're welcome, DiNozzo," Gibbs said gruffly. He couldn't help but notice that Tony was looking exhausted again. "You ought to get some sleep."

Tony shook his head. "No, not now. I need to do this."

"You're tired...it can wait until later..."

"I'd rather just do it now." He closed his eyes again and tried to remember the time spent at the cabin. A lot of it wasn't too clear, but he did remember Sheldon telling him that they had called his father.

"God..."

"Tony, what is it?" Gibbs asked. He could see Tony was upset.

"I remember Sheldon telling me about the ransom...that he had called my father..." He looked at Gibbs pleadingly. "How can I let my father go to jail?" he asked, his eyes filled with torment. "No matter what he might have done, he still wouldn't have been here if he wasn't trying to help me..."

"That isn't how it works, Tony. The circumstances did not in any way force him to do what he did to you." This was just great. It wasn't at all what Gibbs wanted to hear. No matter how many times he tried to reason with Tony, the younger man still believed that he was somehow to blame for what had happened.

"He...he'll never forgive me," Tony stated softly, looking impossibly young and vulnerable.

"So you think we should just let him off the hook?" Gibbs asked.

Tony shrugged. "If I don't want to press charges, I don't see why we have to..."

"And if he had killed you?"

"I told you before, he wouldn't have done that."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do."

Gibbs ran his hand back through his hair in frustration. Why did this have to be so damn difficult?

"You can't tell me you've never bent rules before," Tony persisted. "I know that you have. The legal system is a crock, lawyers playing let's make a deal. Guilty people are walking around all over the place."

"So, you're admitting he's guilty."

"I'm saying he made a mistake."

Gibbs shook his head. "It was much more than a mistake, Tony."

"Please, boss?" Tony looked at Gibbs imploringly. "I...I haven't asked you for much...can't you please do this one thing for me?"

Just then, Ducky walked into the room. "Hello, Anthony, Jethro..." He paused when he saw the intense looks on the faces of both men. "Am I interrupting something? I can come back..."

Gibbs shook his head and got to his feet. "Actually, Ducky, your timing couldn't be better. I'm going to get out of here for a while. I'll let you have some time alone with Tony." He just couldn't do this anymore. He felt like he was being torn in two. Gibbs then fled from the room without another look at his agent, never seeing the look of utter devastation on Tony's face as he walked out the door.


	28. Chapter 28

**AN: Here you go, chapter 28. I was really hoping to have this posted on Saturday, but a very scary situation happened where I lost vision in my left eye. After ER visits at three different hospitals, I found out I wasn't going blind (which I truly thought I was) and there's a good chance this will all resolve itself with time. Still made for a very emotional, tiring weekend though. In any case, as always, I appreciate your support and reviews so much. Not going to list everybody who reviewed this time, just because I'm really tired and need to go to bed, but I hopefully thanked you all individually. If I missed you, I'm really sorry and it definitely was nothing personal. **

**Thanks so much, all of you. Hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

xxxxx

From the look on Tony's face, it was obvious he was very upset and Ducky decided to forego the usual polite pleasantries. "Anthony? What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, looking at the young man worriedly.

Tony took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he tried to calm himself down. All he could think of though was that Gibbs had left him. "Nothing's wrong, Ducky," he finally managed to say in a relatively steady voice, in direct contrast to how he felt inside, his stomach tangled up in knots.

Ducky shook his head, not believing that for a second. "Something is most definitely wrong. Are you sure you don't want to talk about it? Maybe I can help."

"No thanks," Tony said softly. "Its between me and Gibbs...you understand, don't you?" He looked at Ducky anxiously, not wanting to alienate yet another person in his life.

"Of course I understand, my boy." Ducky patted Tony's hand reassuringly. "If you change your mind though, I can be a very good listener."

Tony nodded and forced a faint smile. He knew that Ducky meant well and he usually would have been quite happy to visit with him, but the fact that Gibbs was gone was overshadowing everything else right now.

So, Abigail informed me that you had quite a nice visit earlier today..."

"Yeah...yeah we did..." Was that only today? It seemed much longer ago than that. He wondered where Gibbs had gone. He wondered if he was ever coming back.

Ducky sighed to himself. Tony was clearly preoccupied by whatever had transpired between him and Jethro. He wondered if it had anything to do with the earlier confrontation between Jethro and Tony's father. He couldn't imagine Jethro would have told Tony what his father had said though, not when the boy still clearly had some recovery time ahead of him.

"So what's new with you? Any interesting cases?"

"Ah yes, a most interesting one, reminds me of a similar case I had many years ago, in fact." Ducky launched into one of his tales and Tony went back to his thoughts of Gibbs and his father, the medical examiner's voice in the background providing some measure of comfort to him. At least he wasn't completely alone...

xxxxx

Gibbs got in his car and just drove with no real destination in mind. He was kicking himself for what had just happened with Tony. He had let his frustrations get the best of him. DiNozzo was sick and in an emotionally charged situation. He shouldn't have let things spiral out of control the way they had. Somehow, he ended up back at NCIS headquarters. He sat in his car, drumming his hands on his steering wheel, debating what to do. He certainly wasn't going to go anywhere near DiNozzo Sr., but he still had Luke O'Connell to contend with. He hadn't planned on talking with him today, but neither had he anticipated what had just happened with Tony. "Might as well just get it over with while I'm here," he mumbled to himself as he turned off the ignition and got out of his car.

xxxxx

Ducky stayed with Tony through dinner, patiently listening to the young man's complaints about the food which Ducky had to admit appeared to be valid. After dinner, Tony appeared very tired, yawning numerous times as he periodically rubbed his eyes. "I should go and let you get some rest, Tony," Ducky said as he stood up and stretched, feeling a bit stiff after the long time he had spent sitting in the chair by Tony's bedside.

Tony nodded. "Thanks, Ducky...I am pretty tired. I really appreciate you coming here."

"It was my pleasure. I'll be back to visit again," Ducky said as he began to head out. He had a slight twinge of conscience before he left though and turned back towards Tony. "Anthony? Are you quite certain that you're alright? Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

"Well..." Tony suddenly realized there was one part of his plan that he hadn't considered. "Um...do you have any money you could lend me?" he asked. "Our wallets were taken when Bellingham and company first grabbed us."

"Of course I can loan you some," Ducky said, pulling out his wallet, "but please promise me you're not going to use it for pizza or other forbidden things."

"I promise, Ducky," Tony said with an easy smile. "I just want to use it for the television and phone. You have to pay for them with cash."

"Oh of course, that's no problem at all." Ducky handed the money to Tony and looked at him thoughtfully. "Are you sure that you're okay?" He knew he kept asking the same question, but he still did not believe all was well with him.

"I'm fine, Ducky...feeling much better since you've been here," Tony managed to pull off a relatively cheerful expression in an attempt to convince Ducky that all was well.

"I can stay longer," the older gentleman said as he started to head back to Tony's side.

"No! I mean...I'm really wiped out," Tony yawned again to emphasize his point. "I really need some sleep."

"Well...if you're sure…" He couldn't really put his finger on what was bothering him, but something seemed off with Tony.

"Honest, I'm doing good...just tired. It's been a long day..."

"Yes, I'm sure it has," Ducky said, nodding his head. "You get some rest then...I'll see you soon..."

"I'll see you, Ducky, thanks again..." Tony watched the older man as he left the room, then waited a few minutes before sitting up then reaching over to the nightstand beside his bed. He smiled to himself when he found his clothes and shoes neatly bundled in a plastic bag. Perfect.

xxxxx

Luke nervously watched Gibbs as he steadily paced back and forth across the interrogation room. He hadn't said a word and Luke found himself getting tenser by the second.

"How is your agent doing?" he finally asked when he couldn't bear the silence any longer. All he got from Gibbs in return was an intimidating glare.

Damn...Luke rubbed his forehead, finding that he was literally beginning to sweat. He was so pissed that he had ever answered DiNozzo's phone call. He was in a shitload of trouble and doubted he would ever get a chance to spend any of the money he had been given. This really sucked.

"Start from the beginning," Gibbs demanded, the sound of his voice unexpected and causing Luke to jump slightly.

"I...he...DiNozzo called me, offering me a job to take care of his kid..." Luke stammered.

"And you didn't think it was odd that he basically kidnapped him from the hospital?" Gibbs asked.

"Well…maybe a little bit, but he explained things and I just thought the guy was kinda odd, you know?"

Gibbs shook his head in disgust, but it wasn't really Luke he was mad at. His anger was stirring up all over again over how DiNozzo Sr. had endangered his son. "Then what?"

"Well, we went to the beach house and I still thought the guy was okay, at first. He spared no expense taking care of his kid, but then I started to have suspicions."

"About?"

"His son told me he was a federal agent...that he had been kidnapped. He seemed coherent and I believed him. I gave him my cell to call NCIS, but then his dad showed up and snatched the phone."

"Did he hurt him?" Gibbs asked bristling.

"No." Luke quickly shook his head. "He just said all this stuff...that his kid had some mental problems, lived in a fantasy world...that people didn't understand him." He shrugged. "It seemed plausible enough."

"You believed that?" Gibbs asked incredulously.

"Yes...no...I didn't know. I wasn't sure," Luke hesitated then met Gibbs' eyes. "He was always asking for you, constantly calling for his boss. His dad made up some story about how he was calling for a teddy bear he'd had as a kid."

Gibbs closed his eyes momentarily, trying to process everything. It sounded like Tony had been delirious through much of what had happened with his father. He had his doubts if his agent would ever be able to recall that time, he would have been too sick. "How did his father seem towards him during all this?"

"He seemed kind of cold...detached. He didn't seem to know how to take care of him, didn't even do anything simple like try to cool down his fever, simple stuff that would have seemed natural. Then..." he trailed off with a troubled expression on his face.

"Then what?" Gibbs asked.

"He was getting worse...fever of 104. I said we should bring him to the hospital...His father..."

"His father what?"

Luke shook his head, still not believing what had happened, even though he had been there and he knew that it had. "He said he was going to make a sandwich..."

"What?" Gibbs looked at Luke, dumbfounded. "A sandwich?"

"Yeah," Luke nodded. "I couldn't believe it...his kid is really sick, totally burning up with fever and his father wants to make a sandwich. I wanted to get him help, but hadn't figured out how to do it yet. Things just escalated from there. His kid was getting sicker and sicker, calling out for you to help him, which pissed his father off royally. He was screaming at him, telling him to shut up and then he just snapped and grabbed his neck, starting to choke him...that was when you came in..."

Gibbs nodded, pretty sure that Luke was telling him the truth and that this was how things had gone down. One thing he knew for sure was that Tony's father was a selfish bastard who didn't deserve to have a son like Tony. He had no idea how Tony had turned out as well as he had with a monster like that for a father.

"So...is his kid all right?" Luke asked after a few moments of silence.

"Tony..." Gibbs said. "His name is Tony."

"Is Tony going to be all right?"

Gibbs looked at Luke and believed that he was genuinely concerned about his agent. "Yeah. He's going to be fine."

"That's good," Luke said, seeming to be legitimately relieved. "I've been thinking about him. His father is a real whack job. No wonder he latched onto you."

Hearing that caused Gibbs' guilt to flare up all over again. He was pretty sure that Tony wouldn't take his leaving him very well. He needed to get back to the hospital to talk to the younger man and hopefully set things right with him.

"'Agent Gibbs?"

"Hmm?" Gibbs looked at Luke, momentarily brought out of his thoughts.

"What's going to happen to me now?"

Gibbs considered the question carefully. There were easily charges that he could bring against this man, but in the long run, he had definitely done Tony more good than harm. He shuddered to think of what might have happened if Luke had not been in the picture. There was a good chance Tony would have already been dead.

"You're going to have to stay in custody for a little bit longer, but I don't think there will be any charges filed against you," Gibbs said after giving the matter some thought.

"Really?" Luke gave Gibbs a surprised look, thinking that was too good to be true

Gibbs nodded. "You're going to have to be available as an eye witness, and this all hinges on what Agent DiNozzo wants to do, but I do believe you genuinely wanted to help him."

"Thank you. I really did want to help him," Luke stated, relieved beyond belief that this nightmare might truly be ending for him.

xxxxx

Tony had the timing down to a science. Now that he was getting better, the vital sign checks were a lot less frequent than they had been. He waited until the after dinner check before he made his move. If he could get out of there, he figured he would have some time before anyone noticed he was missing. Of course, if Gibbs came back, that would blow a hole through his plans, but he didn't really think Gibbs would be back, at least not tonight...maybe he wouldn't be coming back at all...

Painstakingly, he pulled out the IV and began to dress himself. His clothes smelled like smoke which brought back images of being trapped in the fire and made him feel a little bit nauseous. Getting dressed took a lot more effort than he anticipated, and he almost decided to abort the whole plan, but he needed to see his father. He had to determine for himself what the truth was and what he needed to do.

Once he was dressed, with Ducky's money firmly situated in his pocket, he carefully made his way out of his room and, avoiding the nurse's station, made his way down a side staircase. He felt spells of dizziness a couple of times and had to stop, tightly clinging to the railing on his way down. 'Anthony, this might not be your brightest move,' he said to himself when he finally reached the bottom. He was somewhat breathless and needed to stop for a bit to try to catch his breath. Finally, he felt well enough to exit the stairwell and make his way into the main lobby. He was easily able to blend in with the people milling about and moments later was on the sidewalk outside the main entrance of the hospital. Luckily, a taxi was dropping off a passenger and Tony was able to grab the cab.

A few minutes later, he was on his way to NCIS headquarters...


	29. Chapter 29

**AN: Here's the next chapter, just a word of warning though – it's a pretty big cliffhanger – if you don't like that kind of thing, you might want to wait for the next chapter or two before reading ;) (Also, I know some of the stuff in this chapter probably couldn't happen with security and all, but just go with it lol)**

**Thanks very much for all your comments and well wishes – I appreciate it very much.**

**Special Thanks: WCUGirl, Sparkiebunny, vanishingp2000, NikaDex, medicgirl,Rena-Spatz, Tiffany331, peanutmeg, Sarahsrr, Space1Traveler, WildFire203, NickTonyK, Gloworm41, Tacpebs, julie250, OlympicStorm, AZGirl, ncismom, twomoms, newgal, combatcrazy, Detour, godsdaughter77, Meilea2010, Stroma, angeleyes46, diana teo, anci2506, GibbsGirlAbby, shirik, deidi and xenascully.**

xxxxx

"Hey man...are you okay?" The cab driver had been periodically eying Tony through the rear view mirror ever since he pulled away from the hospital. The guy in the back seat of his cab looked like hell and was making the driver extremely nervous.

"I'm fine," Tony said, not even bothering to open his eyes. "You just worry about getting me to NCIS." Truthfully, he felt horrible and had quickly come to the realization that he never should have left the hospital. But, now that he had started this, he wanted to finish it.

"Whatever you say, buddy."

Lulled by the motion of the cab, Tony fell into a light doze until the cabdriver pulled up in front of NCIS. He paid the driver and headed towards the building, sighing when he remembered he didn't have his badge or ID. They'd been taken along with everything else Bellingham and his men had stolen. Fortunately, Charlie Hodges, a security guard he knew well, was on duty.

"Hey, Tony. I thought you were in the hospital," Charlie greeted Tony, inwardly noting that the younger man did not look well.

"Hi, Charlie...yeah I was, but I'm out now," Tony said, flashing a smile. "Just have to do a couple of things here and then I'm going home to rest."

"Gibbs is around here somewhere too," Charlie said. "He didn't mention anything about you being released."

"Yeah...I uh wanted to surprise him," Tony said. The conversation making him very uneasy, not to mention the fact that Gibbs was in the building. He hoped he wasn't with his father.

He said goodbye to Charlie and then headed off, only to run into Doug Watson, the requisitions clerk. "Hey, DiNozzo, thought you were still in the hospital," Doug said. "They spring you already? No offense, but you look like crap."

"I'm fine," Tony replied, giving Doug a mini version of the Gibbs glare.

"If you say so," Doug replied with a shrug. He watched as Tony started to walk off and then called him back. "Hey, I have your new cell phone and weapon. Gibbs ordered them for you the other day. You might as well pick them up while you're here."

"Yeah, okay," Tony fought not to roll his eyes. He was never going to see his father at this rate. He followed Doug to his work area and accepted the new gun, cell phone and a box of ammunition. He then stuck the gun into the waistband of his pants behind his back and put the ammo and cell phone in his jacket pockets. "Thanks, Doug. I'll see you later."

"See ya, Tony. Take it easy."

Tony then cautiously began heading towards the prisoner holding area, hoping that he wasn't going to run into Gibbs, who had the uncanny ability to always be unexpectedly popping up out of nowhere. Finally, he made it to the cell where his father was being held. He had been planning to escort him to Interrogation, but he really didn't think he'd be able to make it there. He was quickly losing whatever stamina he had. He stood outside the cell watching his father who was lying on the cot and had not yet noticed him.

"Dad?" Tony finally spoke. DiNozzo Sr. sat up and looked back at Tony, a jovial smile on his face.

"Why hello there, Junior. Its good to see you up and around. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing okay..." Tony fought off a wave of dizziness as he gripped the bars of the cell.

"You don't look so hot, Tony," Senior observed with a slight frown. "I think you'd better find a place to sit down before you fall down."

"Yeah…" Without really thinking, Tony unlocked the cell and went inside, sitting down on the cot beside his father.

"Feeling better?" Senior asked, the wheels in his head already spinning when he saw his son put the keys to the cell into his pocket. He could see that Anthony was in rough shape. He would easily be able to overpower him, but would be unable to just walk out on his own. He would need to take the boy with him in case anyone spotted and tried to apprehend him. Though without a weapon, that really wouldn't be possible.

"Dad? Gibbs said you attacked me back at the beach house," Tony began, his eyes on his father. "Is that true?"

Senior hesitated, knowing he couldn't come right out and call Gibbs a liar. "You were really sick, delirious with fever, thrashing about. I was just trying to calm you down, put a cool cloth on your head to try to get your fever down. Gibbs just misunderstood the situation. I really can't blame him. I might have been suspicious too, if the situation had been reversed."

Tony nodded, unconvinced. He knew Gibbs well and knew he wasn't likely to have misread the situation that badly. He had always known his father was far from perfect, but now he was beginning to suspect that he was much worse than he had ever suspected. He began to think this was just a huge waste of time. His father was just going to lie to him anyway. He knew he should leave but he was really exhausted. He would just rest his eyes for a few minutes and then he would go back to the hospital. Maybe he'd be lucky and Gibbs wouldn't even realize what he had done.

Senior watched as Tony leaned back against the wall and seemed to fall asleep. For a moment, he had a pang of conscience, but then he thought about the boy's disloyalty to him and unswaying devotion to Gibbs and it deepened his anger and resolve. "Anthony...son, are you awake?" he asked softly as he slipped his hand into Tony's jacket pocket and pulled out the keys to the cell. He then searched Tony's other pocket and he felt a small box which he grabbed. His eyes lit up with malicious delight as he saw that the box contained ammunition. "I think you've been holding out on me, son," he said as began to gently explore underneath the boy's jacket. At first, he didn't think he was going to have any luck, but when he snaked his hand between Tony's back and the wall, he found the prize he had been seeking. He opened the box of ammo and carefully loaded the gun then slipped the box back into Tony's pocket.

"Anthony, wake up," he demanded as he slapped Tony's cheek harshly.

"What?" Tony opened his eyes in bewilderment, momentarily unsure of where he was. "Dad? What's going on?"

"You listen to me and you listen good," Senior said as he waved the gun in front of Tony's face. "I am getting out of here and you are going to help me. If anyone asks, you are taking me to be interrogated."

Tony shook his head in disbelief. "What are you doing, dad?" he asked. "You're never going to get away with this. You're just going to make everything worse."

"You will do as I say," Senior said, his eyes blazing with anger. "If you don't...I'll shoot anyone we come across...men, women...whoever. Their corpses will be on your conscience."

Tony remained silent as he stared back at his father, unsure of what to do. He knew there was no way he would be able to get the gun from his father. He was much too weak. He couldn't believe how stupid he had been. This was all his fault and if his father was to shoot someone, that would be his fault as well. "Fine...I'll do what you want..." he said quietly. He didn't want to be responsible for anyone getting hurt or worse. Once they got out of the building, he would try to figure a way out of this mess.

xxxxx

"Hey, Agent Gibbs, how's it going?" Doug greeted the agent.

"You needed me to sign something?" Gibbs asked, barely able to hide his annoyance. He really wanted to get back to Tony.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Doug handed Gibbs the necessary form. "Forgot to have you sign it the other day."

Gibbs hurriedly scribbled his name on the form and turned to leave.

"By the way, Agent Dinozzo was just here a while ago. He picked up his stuff, but by the look of him, he still belongs in the hospital."

"Tony was here?" Gibbs asked, immediately growing concerned. That wasn't good at all.

Doug nodded. "Yeah, but like I said, he really didn't look good."

"Do you know where he was going?" Gibbs asked, though he was sure he already knew.

Doug shrugged his shoulders. "No. He didn't say. I just assumed he was working."

"Thanks," Gibbs said as he quickly headed off. He hoped to God that Tony wasn't in trouble, but the feeling in his gut told him that he was.

xxxxx

"Where's your car?" Senior growled as he roughly dragged Tony through the garage. Getting out of the building had been a piece of cake. The only person who had shown them the slightest bit of interest had been the guard in the holding area, but he had gone back to reading his newspaper before Tony had even finished his explanation.

"I...I don't know," Tony stammered, totally forgetting that he had left his car there the day of Gibbs' dinner invitation. He was starting to feel really sick again. "I mean, I took a cab here."

"You what?" Senior tightened his grip around Tony's neck causing his son to gasp in pain as he struggled to draw a breath. "Why the hell didn't you tell me that? You're worthless to me! Always have been. Good for nothing."

Tony was weakening rapidly as he desperately tried to squirm out of his father's ironclad grip.

"Stop fighting me!" Senior screamed.

"I…I can't breathe. Please let me go." Tony again tried to escape from his father, but his struggles were futile.

"You'd better stop defying me." Senior did loosen his grip slightly, allowing Tony to take in gulps of air, but shoved the nose of the gun sharply against the side of Tony's head. "You will do as I say or I swear...I will not hesitate to use this."

Tony's blood went ice cold at his father's words and in a shocked moment of clarity he realized that his father was telling the truth. He wouldn't hesitate to kill him. Gibbs had been right about him all along. He really wished he had listened to him.

Senior's eyes were wildly roaming around the garage as tried to figure out what to do when he suddenly saw what appeared to be Tony's car. Enraged, he dragged his son over to it. "I thought you took a cab here?" He shoved Tony up against the side of the car. "You're a fucking little liar, just like I told Gibbs!"

Tony stared at his father, utterly confused as to why his car was there. "I...I did take a cab...I..."

"Shut up! I don't want to hear any more of your lies!" Senior viciously slammed the back of Tony's head against the top of the car causing him to see stars. Senior then grabbed his son around the neck once again, placing him into a choke hold with the gun up against his head. "Where the hell are the keys?"

Dizzy and dazed, Tony looked up into his father's furious eyes having absolutely no clue where the keys were. At this point, he barely knew where he, himself, was.

"Let...him...go..."

Immediately recognizing the voice, Senior sneered as he turned to face Gibbs, being careful to keep Tony in front of him with the gun firmly held to his head. "I Don't think you're in any position to be telling me what to do, Gibbs, unless you want a headless senior field agent."

Gibbs kept his gun aimed at Senior, inwardly debating what to do as he locked eyes with Tony.

"Sorry, boss," Tony said before hissing in pain as his father tightened the grip around his neck.

"Shut up, Anthony," Senior said, his tone threatening.

Gibbs tightened the grip on his gun and sent a reassuring look to his agent. "Its okay, Tony."

"Both of you, shut up!" Senior roared as he pushed the gun even harder into Tony's head, causing him to wince.

"I said, let him go," Gibbs ordered.

"You think I won't do it, Gibbs?" Senior asked with a mirthless laugh. "I will. Got no problem doing it. You took him from me and I will take him from you. Even Steven."

"He's your only child..your flesh and blood," Gibbs said softly. "I know you don't want to kill him,"

Senior shook his head quickly. "No...no, you're wrong I'll do it. I will."

"NCIS. Mr. DiNozzo, we have you surrounded. Drop your weapon and let Agent DiNozzo go."

Momentarily panicked by the unseen voice, Senior loosened his grasp on Tony who took the opportunity to elbow his father's stomach as hard as he could and managed to escape from his arms. Infuriated, Senior pointed his gun in Tony's direction and as he did so, gun shots were fired. Senior slowly began to fall, but managed to squeeze two shots off before he hit the concrete floor of the garage. His bullets found their marks. Tony gave his father a look of shocked realization as he grabbed his abdomen and his hand came away soaked in blood. His pain-filled eyes sought Gibbs as he tried to speak, but couldn't, and he dropped to the ground, landing in a heap beside his father.


	30. Chapter 30

**AN: Hi everyone. I know I usually answer each review personally, but in this case, I decided it was more important to try to get this chapter out tonight because I didn't want to keep you waiting another day. I hope that's okay. I really appreciate the great response to the last chapter more than I can say. Next chapter should be out on the weekend. Thanks so very much. Here's the next part – enjoy :)**

xxxxx

His heart beating wildly, Gibbs was at Tony's side in an instant. Tony was writhing on the ground, obviously in severe pain. Gibbs drew the agent into his lap as Ziva and Tim ran over to them, both wearing looks of dismay. "Tim, put pressure on the wound. Ziva, try to find a blanket." Gibbs managed to keep his voice calm and steady, not wanting to cause Tony any further distress. His agent was shivering violently, shock setting in rapidly.

Ziva ran off as Tim knelt beside Tony, shrugging off his jacket as he did so. He folded it up and firmly pressed it against the gushing wounds in Tony's belly. Tony groaned loudly and tried to twist away as the intense pain knifed through him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Tony," Tim said, clearly upset as he and Gibbs exchanged grim looks.

Tony's breathing was irregular, coming in short gasps as he focused his green eyes on Gibbs. "Sor...sorry, boss. Mes...messed up bad."

"Shhh..." Gibbs tightened his grasp on Tony's trembling form, trying desperately to maintain his composure. "Don't try to talk, Tony. Save your strength."

"Ha...have to talk...dying…"

Gibbs shook his head, blinking his eyes several times against threatening tears. "You are not going to die, DiNozzo. You don't have my permission."

Ziva ran back up to them with a blanket and dropped to her knees beside Tony. She gently draped the blanket over Tony's chest and silently took his hand, making no attempt to stop the tears that were streaming down her cheeks.

Tony was finding it increasingly difficult to keep his eyes open. "Sh...should have listened...Can...can't believe he did it. Love you, boss...love all you guys..." With that, his eyes closed and he lost consciousness.

"Love you too, Tony," Gibbs whispered, watching the uneven rise and fall of Tony's chest as if mesmerized. He couldn't believe this had happened. "I never should have left you alone... should have known better..." He looked in the direction where DiNozzo Sr. had fallen. A group of agents surrounded the man so that he wasn't even visible. He had no idea whether Senior was dead or alive. He had known Tony's father was a monster, but he never would have guessed he would take things to such extremes, to actually attempt to murder his own son. Whatever the case, there was no way he wouldn't be going to prison now. He had shot Tony in front of a bunch of witnesses. He hoped he rotted in jail for the rest of his life. "Has the bleeding slowed any?" he asked, briefly turning his attention towards Tim.

"Don't think so, boss," Tim said, shaking his head, his eyes bleak. "It looks pretty bad..."

Just then, Gibbs spotted Abby and Ducky hurrying towards them. "Oh Tony..." Abby whispered, looking devastated as she kneeled down beside Tim. "How could he have done this to you?"

Duck had his medical bag with him and pulled out his blood pressure cuff, quickly fastening it around Tony's arm and pumping up the cuff. "His blood pressure is very low," he said after he had gotten a reading.

"He's bleeding bad, Duck," Gibbs said. "That bastard shot him twice."

"Why?" Ducky asked, a look of shock in his eyes. "Why would he do that?"

Gibbs shrugged. "I don't think he had a reason...just a sick bastard, I guess..." He sighed with relief as he finally heard the sound of approaching sirens. He hoped and prayed that they were in time and something could be done to save Tony. Moments later, the paramedics were there and began furiously working on Tony to try to stabilize him. There were also paramedics over by DiNozzo Sr., but Gibbs didn't pay them any mind. He honestly didn't care if the man lived or died.

"I'm going with him," Gibbs stated as the paramedics prepared to transfer Tony into the ambulance. The paramedics exchanged glances and then the one who Gibbs assumed was the senior paramedic nodded. Gibbs climbed into the ambulance alongside his agent and a few moments later they were on their way to the hospital.

xxxxx

"I feel like we were just here," Abby said solemnly from her seat in the hospital waiting room,

"That's because we were," Tim said, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"Trouble is always following Tony," Ziva commented.

"I wonder how long the surgery will take."

"That all depends on how much damage they find, Timothy," Ducky replied. "I would imagine it will take quite some time though.

"I never should have left him," Gibbs said, shaking his head. "I knew he was upset, I knew it, but I left him anyway."

"You're not to blame, Jethro," Ducky said. "If anyone is to blame, its me. I'm the one who gave him the money that enabled him to get out of the hospital."

"You couldn't have known what he wanted the money for," Gibbs said. "It wasn't your fault, besides, he would have found a way to get out of here even if you hadn't given him the money. He would have hoodwinked some woman into giving him a ride or something."

"Gibbs is right, Ducky." Abby got up from her chair and went over to Ducky, giving the older gentleman a hug. "Tony is stubborn. He definitely would have found another way."

"I suppose you're right, Abigail," Ducky admitted reluctantly, "but I still feel badly about it. Now that I think about it, he was all too eager for me to leave. I should have suspected something."

Gibbs sighed impatiently. He couldn't stand waiting and he knew it was going to be a long wait. He still couldn't believe that Tony's father had shot him. He knew the man was a whackjob, but to actually have enough hatred or be crazy enough to shoot his own son...he just hadn't really thought he would go that far. He didn't think he would ever be able to forget the shocked look that had been in Tony's eyes when he realized his own father had shot him. It would be ingrained in his memory forever.

"Does anyone want any coffee or something to eat?" Tim asked as he got to his feet. It was going to be a very long wait. He at least wanted to go get himself a drink.

"I'll have some coffee, thanks," Gibbs said. Ziva and Ducky each requested tea.

"I'll go with you, Timmy," Abby said and the two of them went off together to get the drinks. After they had gone, Gibbs got to his feet and started pacing.

"Jethro, you know that isn't going to help anything," Ducky commented as he watched the man pace back and forth.

"It helps me, Duck," Gibbs replied. "I can't just sit still."

"Well then maybe you should go take a walk, get some fresh air, clear your head a little bit."

Gibbs shook his head. "No. I'm not leaving here. I want to be right here when they take him out of surgery." He couldn't even voice the thought that was tormenting him the most, that the surgeon would come out any minute and say that Tony had died on the table. He didn't think he would be able to handle that.

Ducky gave Gibbs a long look. He knew that Jethro was terrified he would lose Tony. He had always known how much he cared about the boy, but these latest episodes had made it even more obvious. Tony was like a son to him. He prayed to God that he would pull through. He turned his eyes toward Ziva who was just sitting silently, lost in her thoughts. "Ziva? Are you alright?"

Ziva nodded. "Yes, Ducky. I am fine."

"Tony is strong." Ducky took Ziva's hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze.

"Yes, I know, but how much more can he take?" she asked. "He already has been through so much...everyone has their limits..." She trailed off and her thoughts went back to the visit earlier that day. He had seemed to be doing quite well. It had been a nice visit and now everything was turned upside down all over again. Her eyes started to follow Gibbs as he paced back and forth. She was starting to realize just how much the man truly cared about Tony. She wondered if Tony understood how much he meant to Gibbs.

"Any word?" Abby asked as she and Tim returned with the beverages.

"No, nothing," Ziva replied, shaking her head. She picked up a magazine and began absently leafing through the pages.

Gibbs finally stopped pacing and sat down again, taking a sip of his coffee. He kept thinking about all the awful things that had happened to Tony since the day Bellingham had grabbed them in front of his house. Every time it seemed like things were taking a turn for the better, something else horrible happened. He wondered if he would ever get the chance to hear Tony's jokes or movie references again. Even if Tony got better physically, he couldn't help but worry about the psychological effects of what had happened. Tony's own father had tried to murder him. He couldn't imagine that would be a very easy thing to get over. He did know one thing though, it didn't matter if Tony tried to push him away one time or one hundred times…he was going to stick with the younger man no matter what.

After what seemed to be an interminable wait, Dr. Kennedy and Dr. Rodriguez, the surgeon, came out into the waiting room.

Gibbs quickly got to his feet and looked at Dr. Kennedy since he really didn't know the other doctor. "Doc?" he asked uncertainly, unable to read anything from the expressions of either doctor.

"He survived the surgery," Dr. Kennedy said, his expression grim as he gazed back at Gibbs. "It was a fight though."

Dr. Rodriguez entered the conversation. "We had a hard time controlling the bleeding. There was a lot of tissue damage. One of the bullets hit his spleen and we had to remove it."

"Given his situation prior to the shooting, that's not a good thing," Dr. Kennedy said.

"So…what are you saying?" Gibbs asked, unable to keep a slight tremor out of his voice.

"I'm saying he has a battle ahead of him," Dr. Kennedy stated. "For right now, once he's out of recovery, we are going to move him to the Surgical ICU and then we'll see how he does…Do you have any word on how his father is doing?"

"His father shot him," Gibbs said, giving the doctor an incredulous look. "I don't really care how he's doing."

Dr. Kennedy shook his head patiently. "I do understand that, Agent Gibbs, but I'm still guessing it isn't going to be a good idea to give any bad news to Tony right now, especially if his father doesn't make it."

Gibbs shrugged. "Like I said, I haven't heard anything."

"Okay…I'm going to get back to him now. I'll keep you updated."

"Doc?" Gibbs lightly placed his hand on Dr. Kennedy's arm. "Can I stay with him?"

The doctor hesitated for a moment, but then nodded, assuming that Gibbs' level of devotion to the young man couldn't hurt and might be of some help. "Yes, I think that will be okay. Follow me, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs turned to the members of his team who had been silently listening to the exchange between Gibbs and the doctor. "You all should go home…get some rest."

They looked back at Gibbs doubtfully, not really wanting to leave. "Go ahead. I'll keep you posted."

"You tell Tony we love him, Gibbs," Abby said throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

"I'll tell him, Abs…I promise."

"Agent Gibbs?" Dr. Kennedy beckoned him and Gibbs gave a brief wave to his team before he followed the doctor to go see his ailing agent.


	31. Chapter 31

**AN: Here you go, chapter 31. I can't believe how long this has gotten. Thank you all so much for your nice comments and reviews. I appreciate it so much. This chapter is a little bit cliffhangy- nothing too horrible, but just wanted to warn you.**

**Special Thanks: WCUGirl, Sparkiebunny, LongLashes1, vanishingp2000, NikaDex, NickTonyK, Rena-Spatz, medicgirl, Space1Traveler, Meilea2010, Mysteryfan17, Elerrina Star, AZGirl, ncismom, Gloworm41, Tiffany331, OlympicStorm, julie250, WildFire203, FDDBonney, angeleyes, combatcrazy, godsdaughter77, xenascully, BnBfanatic, faldo, anci2506, Tacpebs, newgal, Stroma, shee1, Servant05, deidi and GibbsGirlAbby. You guys are just great :)**

xxxxx

Dr. Kennedy led Gibbs through the recovery area and over to Tony's bedside. The younger man had an oxygen mask placed over his face and was attached to numerous beeping monitors and other medical equipment, with tubes and wires everywhere. His complexion was exceedingly pale, even more so than it had been after Bellingham had injected him and Gibbs hadn't thought that was even possible.

"He doesn't look good," Gibbs observed, his voice barely above a whisper as he spoke. He actually found himself to be somewhat frightened by Tony's appearance. He looked exceedingly fragile, almost as if he could lose his fight to live at any moment.

"Give him some time, Agent Gibbs," Dr. Kennedy said. "He's been through quite an ordeal and has just undergone major surgery."

"I know, but..." Gibbs trailed off as he picked up Tony's hand and took it in his own, wishing that somehow, through sheer force of will, he could transfer some of his own strength to his agent.

Dr. Kennedy looked at Gibbs sympathetically then picked up Tony's chart and made a few notations in it. "I have a couple of patients I need to check on. I'll be back very soon."

Gibbs nodded and gave Dr. Kennedy an appreciative smile. He watched as the doctor left the area and then sat down in the chair that was next to Tony's bed. "Well, DiNozzo...looks like you really got yourself into some big trouble this time," he said, clasping Tony's hand tightly. "And when you're feeling better, you and I are going to have a long talk about you leaving the hospital the way you did...But for now, you just need to worry about getting well."

"I told you that you're like a son to me...and I hope you realize that I really meant it..." Gibbs continued softly. "I know you've been having a very rough time lately, and I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am about that...but, you just need to fight through this...fight with everything you've got, Tony. I'll be right by your side and will help you in whatever way I can. I promise I will..." He watched Tony closely, knowing in his head that he wouldn't be able to respond yet, but somehow still finding himself disappointed when he didn't. "You're going to be fine...I'm going to make sure of it..."

Gibbs sighed to himself, then found his eyes beginning to wander around the recovery area. There weren't a lot of patients there. A number of the beds were empty. Just as he was about to turn his attention back to Tony, he saw him...DiNozzo Sr. He appeared to be resting comfortably in a cubicle not too far from where Gibbs was sitting. He wasn't hooked up to anywhere near the amount of medical equipment that Tony was surrounded by. 'There definitely is no justice in the world,' Gibbs thought. He clenched his free hand into a very tight fist, making a great effort to stay where he was, when his first instinct was to go over and pound the man. He knew if he did so though, at the very least, he would be tossed out of the hospital and then he wouldn't be able to stay with Tony who was his number one priority right now.

"I can't believe that bastard is here," Gibbs murmured.

"Yeah, I figured you'd spot him pretty quickly." Gibbs started slightly at the unexpected voice and saw that Dr. Kennedy had returned and was standing right behind him.

"What's wrong with him?" Gibbs asked, curious in spite of himself.

"Gunshot wounds to the shoulder and to the leg," Dr. Kennedy replied. He knew he shouldn't be discussing the man's condition with Gibbs, but he figured he had a right to know after all that had happened. "He's going to be fine."

Gibbs nodded, feeling a huge lump developing in his throat. "Life isn't fair, doc..." He looked at Tony who was much too vulnerable right now and knew he had to protect him at any cost.

"No...no its not," Dr. Kennedy agreed. He had seen many heartbreaking situations over the years, but this one was definitely unique. He really did feel for Gibbs and his agent.

"Do you have any children?" Gibbs asked, shifting his gaze from Tony to the doctor.

Dr. Kennedy nodded, his eyes lighting up. "Yes I do, six-year-old twins, a boy and a girl."

Gibbs couldn't help feeling a twinge of envy towards this man whose children would be safely at home, tucked into their beds at this hour. "You're a lucky man...and I'm sure you can understand how I feel...If anyone was to threaten their safety, I imagine you'd go to whatever lengths you had to in order to protect them..."

"You're right. I would." The doctor nodded and Gibbs continued.

"Tony is like a son to me, doc. He has gone through way too much and I will not see him hurt anymore. I don't want that monster anywhere near him. I don't want him to get even a glimpse of my agent. If he can't be transferred out of this area immediately, then I want Tony to be. He's already tried to kill him twice...He's not going to get a third crack at him."

"I'll speak to his doctor. I'll see if we can arrange to have his father transferred out of here," Dr. Kennedy said. Even though he knew Senior would be physically unable to go after Tony in his current condition, he didn't say that. He could totally understand Agent Gibbs' concerns and wasn't about to invalidate them after all these men had been through.

Dr. Kennedy hurried off and Gibbs was once again left to his vigil. A short time later, Dr. Kennedy approached, accompanied by another physician. Just from the expression on the other doctor's face, Gibbs knew he wasn't going to make things easy.

"Agent Gibbs, this is Dr. Bill Sanders." The apologetic look on Dr. Kennedy's face told him all he needed to know.

Gibbs held out his hand in an attempted handshake, which was rebuffed by Dr. Sanders. "Agent Gibbs, I hear you're trying to dictate patient care," Dr. Sanders began. "Well, I can assure you that though your methods may work at the FBI..."

"NCIS," Gibbs interrupted, thinking how appropriate it was that a dirtbag like Senior would have a prick for a doctor..

"Whatever...I don't really care if you work for the President of the United States. As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, while your methods may work for you at your agency, you have no authority in this hospital and I will not have you endangering my patients based on your little whims."

"I'm not trying to be difficult here," Gibbs said, trying to control his anger. "I just want to protect..."

"Yes, I know, protect your agent. Well I want to protect my patient too. All patients have equal rights at this hospital, Gibbs. Just because you are federal agents doesn't give you special privileges."

"Come on, Bill...you don't have to get nasty about it. I explained the situation to you..." Dr. Kennedy tried to intervene,

"You explained one side of the story, Adam. The other side of the story has yet to be delivered."

Gibbs was seething. This guy was a pompous jackass. "Have you not seen any of the news reports or read the papers?" he asked, his blue eyes fierce and stormy. Your patient kidnapped my agent and put him through hell. As far as I can see, his side of the story is pretty clearcut."

"I don't see it that way at all. Agent Gibbs." Dr. Sanders remained cool and unperturbed under Gibbs' fierce gaze. "The media can be very manipulative. They twist and turn everything around to suit their purposes. Surely you're aware of that. In this case, I see a father who wanted to get his son out from under the control of a boss who seems to have some kind of a God complex."

"And what about the two bullet holes in Tony? Just another act by his loving father?"

"I'm not a cop or an attorney...as far as I'm concerned anyone could have shot your agent. My concern is the two bullet holes in MY patient."

"Fine." Gibbs realized this doctor was not going to give in. He stood up and angrily drew the curtain around Tony's bed, effectively shielding it from his father. "I trust this won't be a problem?" he asked, directing his gaze at Dr. Kennedy.

"No...it won't be a problem at all," Dr. Kennedy replied as he turned towards Dr. Sanders. "Come on, Bill."

Dr. Sanders smirked smugly, pleased that the agent had been put in his place. "Yes, I need to check on Mr. DiNozzo. He should be waking up soon."

"Wow...that guy is a real piece of work," Gibbs said softly to Tony after the two doctors had departed, leaving them alone once again. "I'm glad Kennedy is your doctor." He realized that perhaps he had been overstepping boundaries, demanding to have Senior moved, but Sanders didn't have to be so obnoxious about it.

Another hour went by and the only interruptions were the recovery nurses who periodically entered the cubicle to check on Tony. "Lots of pretty nurses here," Gibbs commented. "You might want to think about waking up so you can see for yourself."

"Uhmstonstirnurse..." Tony muttered unintelligibly as he began to stir.

Gibbs brightened considerably as Tony's green eyes slowly opened and focused on him. "Hey, DiNozzo...welcome back." Gibbs said, squeezing his hand encouragingly and giving him a heartfelt smile.

Tony stared at Gibbs groggily as he tried to process where he was and what had happened to him, but the details were very mirky. He finally gave up trying to figure that out and licked his lips which felt parched and dry. "Th..Thir...thirsty..." He managed to get the word out, surprised by how much of an effort it took him to do so.

Gibbs pressed the call button for the nurse who arrived almost immediately and smiled when she saw that Tony was awake. "Hello there, Mr. DiNozzo, its nice to see you with your eyes open.. How are you feeling? Can I get you something?"

Tony looked a little dumbfounded and looked to Gibbs who frowned slightly, disturbed by Tony's seeming inability to answer the nurse's questions. "He said he was thirsty," Gibbs said after a few moments of silence.

The nurse nodded as she finished taking Tony's temperature and recorded it on his chart. "He can't have anything to drink, but I'll get him some ice chips. I'll be right back."

"Tony? Are you doing okay?" Gibbs asked after the nurse had gone.

Tony, whose eyelids had already been starting to shut, looked at Gibbs and nodded sleepily.

The nurse came back into the cubicle. She was carrying a small cupful of ice chips and was accompanied by Dr. Kennedy. "I heard you were awake, Tony," Dr. Kennedy gave a friendly smile to his patient. "How are you feeling?"

Tony hesitated slightly before answering. "O...okay."

"Good." He glanced at the readings on the monitors and at the notes on Tony's chart. "I see you're running a slight fever, but that's not unexpected. Are you in a lot of pain?"

Tony paused then shook his head. "No...I'm okay."

The nurse approached to spoon feed some ice chips to Tony and Gibbs beckoned to Dr. Kennedy.

"I'm so terribly sorry about how Dr. Sanders acted earlier, Agent Gibbs," Dr. Kennedy said apologetically. "The man can be an ass, but I never expected him to behave like that."

Gibbs shook his head. "No need to apologize. It wasn't your fault. And you don't have to keep addressing me so formally. I think we're going to be seeing a lot of each other. Jethro or Gibbs is just fine."

Dr. Kennedy nodded. "Okay, Jethro. The same goes for me. You can just call me Adam.

"So, Adam... Tony seems a little bit off to me since he woke up," Gibbs said, taking care to keep his voice low so that Tony wouldn't overhear him.

"Off how?"

"Just a little bit zoned out, seems confused. He's slow to respond to questions."

"I'm pretty sure that's just from the anesthesia," the doctor explained. "He doesn't even look like he's fully awake yet. I wouldn't worry."

"Guess I'm overreacting a little bit." Gibbs grinned sheepishly.

"Hey, after what you've seen him go through, I don't blame you a bit. You're entitled to overreact. Now we're going to monitor him for a little while longer down here and then I'll arrange to have him transferred to the surgical ICU. Visiting procedures are stricter there"

Gibbs started to protest but Dr. Kennedy held up his hand. "I'll clear it so that you can stay with him as much as you like. But, I'm warning you, it won't be very comfortable for you. You're going to need to take some breaks away from there. You need to worry about yourself as well as Tony."

"I'll do what I have to do," Gibbs said gruffly.

Dr. Kennedy nodded. Gibbs was certainly stubborn, no doubt about it. "Okay then...I'll be back soon. Tony, you take it easy."

"I'll just leave these ice chips," the nurse said to Gibbs. "If he wants more, just give him one at a time."

Gibbs nodded and watched as the medical personnel left the cubicle. "You want any more ice chips, Tony?" he asked.

Tony shook his head wearily. He really just wanted to go back to sleep. Just then, there was a disturbance elsewhere in the ward. Gibbs' awareness heightened, but he kept his attention focused on Tony. Then came the sound of yelling. "Where is my son? Tell me! Anthony! Where are you?"

Tony looked shell shocked as he heard the sound of his father's voice and it triggered the memories of what had happened to him. His heartbeat sped up significantly and he gave Gibbs a panicked look. His father had shot him and now he was coming after him again...


	32. Chapter 32

**AN: First of all, I want to thank each and every one of you who has reviewed. It is so appreciated and I so love reading your comments. **

**Now to address the issue of security (or lack thereof) I admit that I messed up with that - I was thinking there wouldn't have been any guards until after the recovery room. That being said, I'm just going with it anyhow, so if you didn't like the last chapter, you definitely will not like this one and should probably skip it.  
**

**Thanks again - Enjoy the chapter.**

xxxxx

"Tony...Tony, its okay. Take it easy. I'm not going to let him near you," Gibbs tried to calm his visibly agitated agent. "I'll go out there and make sure he doesn't come in here, okay?"

"No!" Tony grabbed Gibbs' arm, gripping it tightly. After a few moments, he loosened his grasp and gave Gibbs a sheepish look. "I'd rather you just stay here, boss...I mean, if you don't mind..."

"Sure, I'll stay with you, Tony. Of course, I don't mind," Gibbs said casually, not wanting to make a big deal out of Tony's request. He knew Tony never would have asked that under normal circumstances. His father had really done a job on him.

"Th...thanks, boss."

"No problem."

They sat in silence for a few minutes and Tony's heartbeat had just about gotten back to normal when Senior started screaming again. "You can't keep me away from my son! You have no right!"

Gibbs had had about enough. He got to his feet and was about to head out of the cubicle, but the look on Tony's face stopped him in his tracks. He looked positively sick and very scared. 'Damn' he thought to himself. He didn't think Tony would begin to recover mentally until he was well away from DiNozzo Sr. The man seemed to be hiding around every corner.

Just then, Dr. Sanders drew open the curtain to the cubicle and entered the area, pushing Senior in a wheelchair. "I know you said to keep him away, but he's really upset and wants to see HIS son," he explained, shooting Gibbs a dirty look.

"Anthony...it was an accident. I am so sorry. I honestly didn't mean to shoot you. I just lost my head," Senior talked very quickly, his words practically tumbling over each other as he spoke.

"Get him the hell out of here!" Gibbs shouted, beyond incredulous at what this supposed doctor had just had the gall to do. Tony's breathing was coming in short gasps and he looked like he was on the verge of hyperventilating. Every speck of color had drained out of his face. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Gibbs grabbed Senior's wheelchair and shoved it towards the other side of the room, almost toppling it over.. He then went back to Tony's cubicle. Dr. Sanders was standing there with a stunned look on his face. "You're supposed to be a doctor?" Gibbs asked, giving him a death glare. "Look at him. Look what you've done. You're a disgrace to the medical profession."

"I'm sorry. I thought you were exaggerating. I never..." Dr. Sanders trailed off, realizing he had no valid excuse for what he had done.

"God, Boss...I think I'm going to be sick," Tony called out. Gibbs frantically looked for an emesis basin, but he couldn't find one, and grabbed a bedpan instead. He helped Tony to sit up just in a nick of time before he got violently ill. The spasms ripped through his abdomen, causing him severe pain. When he had finished emptying the contents of his stomach, he curled himself into a ball on his side, moaning softly. The pain, which had been adequately managed before, was now becoming even more intense. "Oh God...God, it hurts, boss. It really hurts," Tony gasped. He wasn't sure he could take much more of this and longed to just pass out. The pains tearing through him though served as a constant reminder that he was very much awake.

"Somebody get him some help!" Gibbs yelled. He was angry and completely at a loss as to how to help his agent, not a good combination.

"I...let me help him," Dr. Sanders, who had been standing immobile, in shocked silence, approached.

"Get the hell away from him. You're not touching him. You'll be lucky if you still have a license to practice medicine when I'm through with you," Gibbs growled as he gently rubbed Tony's back, the only thing he could think to do for him.. "Someone get Dr. Kennedy. Please. He needs something for the pain."

He had only just called for the man when Dr. Kennedy came rushing into the recovery area. "What happened?" he asked as he made his way to Tony's side.

"That bastard Sanders brought Tony's father in here," Gibbs stated tersely.

"What?" Dr. Kennedy stared at Dr. Sanders who shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "How could you? What were you thinking?"

"I guess I wasn't thinking."

"Obviously. Get out of here, Sanders," Dr. Kennedy ordered. "I'll deal with you later. And close that curtain behind you." Sanders slunk away and Dr. Kennedy turned his full attention to Tony, fastening a blood pressure cuff around his arm. "His blood pressure is through the roof..."

"That isn't really a surprise, is it?"," Gibbs asked. "I would imagine mine is right up there with his."

"Tony, try to calm down," Dr. Kennedy directed. "I'm going to go get you something for the pain and to help you sleep. I'll be right back."

"How are you doing?" Gibbs asked quietly, after Dr. Kennedy had left the cubicle.

"Honestly, I've been better, boss," Tony admitted, clenching his teeth as another jolt of pain shot through him.

"I know you have...I'm sorry, Tony," Gibbs said, unable to stop the feelings of guilt flowing through him. He should have been more insistent about DiNozzo Sr. being transferred. He'd had a feeling in his gut that something bad was going to happen. He had known that once Senior left Recovery though, he would have been under heavy surveillance. He just should have made sure it happened sooner.

"I don't understand how he could do that to me..." Tony whispered. He was in obvious distress and trying his best to try and fend off the physical and mental pain he had been bombarded with. "I just always thought..."

"You always thought what?" Gibbs prompted as he continued to rub the younger man's back in a soothing circular motion. Tony didn't answer the question at first and the silence went on for so long that Gibbs thought he had fallen asleep.

"I always thought that somewhere way down deep he loved me..." The hurt and raw emotion was evident in Tony's voice and Gibbs once again cursed the man who had basically tossed his son away like garbage.

"Tony..."

"I'm back." Dr. Kennedy announced as he stepped back into the cubicle. He was holding a syringe, the contents of which he injected into the IV. "That should alleviate your pain very quickly."

Almost immediately, Tony felt his pain begin to decrease dramatically and he started to feel woozy. "Thanks, Doc...that's much better..." He allowed his eyes to close and soon slipped off to sleep.

"Thanks Doc...Adam.." Gibbs was immensely relieved to see Tony sleeping peacefully again. It had just about killed him to see Tony in so much pain.

"Not a problem," Dr. Kennedy said, shaking his head. "That never should have happened, Jethro. Just so you know, his father has been escorted to a secure ward. He won't be able to hurt Tony anymore."

"Good." Gibbs nodded, his eyes on his sleeping agent. "I wonder if he's ever going to get back to his old self..."

"He should, with time."

"You've never seen him how he usually is," Gibbs said as a smile touched the corners of his mouth. "Brave, smart, always joking around, playing pranks. He can be a little on the cocky side sometimes, but he's a great investigator...He'll be a great team leader someday...actually he already is..."

"I can see how much he means to you," Dr, Kennedy observed.

"He means everything to me. As I told you before...he's like a son to me. I just want to see him healthy again...I want him to be able to put all this behind him and get on with his life."

"Well, from what you tell me, he should be able to. He's strong or he never would have come as far as he has and certainly has a lot of support behind him, which is key."

"You're right...he definitely has that...I just hope he doesn't try to push me away...He can be stubborn."

"Well...you seem pretty stubborn yourself," Dr. Kennedy said with a grin. "I have a feeling you're entirely capable of pushing back."

"Ya think?" Gibbs smiled back at the doctor. He then looked thoughtfully at Tony and brushed his hand back through his hair affectionately. "So, how long do you think he'll be asleep?"

"I gave him a pretty good dose of medicine. He should be asleep for a few hours, at least. He really needs to get some good uninterrupted rest. Best way for him to get better."

"And you'll be transferring him upstairs soon?"

The doctor nodded. "Yeah, it shouldn't be too long. Why? Are you leaving?"

Gibbs nodded. "I'm still going to be in the building though. Call my cell if he needs me. You have the number, right?"

"I do."

"Okay...thanks Doc, I'll see you soon."

xxxxx

"Hey Rollins," Gibbs greeted the agent standing guard outside Senior's door. "How's it going?"

"Everything's quiet, Gibbs. How's Tony?"

"He's holding his own.. I'm just going to go in and check things out for myself."

Rollins grinned at Gibbs. "You're not going to do anything to make my life difficult, are you?"

Gibbs shook his head "Nope. Just want to talk to him. No big deal."

Rollins nodded. "Okay, go ahead."

Gibbs quietly entered the room and stood in the doorway for a few moments trying to keep his composure. Senior was lying in the bed, cuffed to the bedrail. He narrowed his eyes as he stared at back at Gibbs. "What the hell do you want?"

"Just came to see how you're doing. You must be pretty happy with yourself."

"Get out of here, Gibbs."

"Just curious about a couple of things and then I'll let you go...or rather I'll go...you'll be staying here."

"Ask your questions Gibbs and then get the hell out of here."

"I just want to know why...How could you have done it? Do you know how much he wanted your approval?" Gibbs shook his head in disbelief. "He would have done anything for you and you threw it all away..."

Senior stared back at Gibbs, saying nothing.

"Well?" Gibbs asked, finding his patience was wearing thin.

"I don't know..."

"YOU SHOT HIM." Gibbs was deliberately keeping his distance, knowing if he got too close, the urge to pound the man would be too strong to resist. "Your own son...you shot him, could have killed him. You didn't have a reason?"

"He was disloyal...he's not my son anymore. He's yours..."

"You're wrong. He was nothing but loyal to you. Hell, he wanted me to let you off the hook for what you did. You could have had it all, but now you're going to go to prison. Was it worth it?"

Senior remained silent as he defiantly stared back at Gibbs.

"Well, I hope it was worth it for you, because now he sees you for what you are. You're a pathetic excuse for a man."

"This is getting tedious, Gibbs. You've got what you wanted, now just get out of here."

Gibbs hesitated and realized he just had nothing more to say to the man. He clearly had no feelings of remorse for what he had done. "I'll leave, DiNozzo," Gibbs stated. "But mark my words...someday, I don't know when, you're going to realize what you've done and you're going to regret it."

"Leave."

Gibbs gave Senior one long last look and then he headed out of the room to go rejoin Tony.


	33. Chapter 33

**AN: As always, I really appreciate your comments and support. Just an fyi regarding this chapter. There is some medical stuff included which I researched but I'm sure is not perfect so hopefully you can just go with it. Thanks so much. Enjoy the chapter :)**

xxxxx

True to what Dr. Kennedy had said, Tony slept for several hours. He had been transferred to the Surgical ICU and so far everything had gone smoothly. Gibbs sat beside him and had managed to doze off several times, but he awoke every time a nurse came into Tony's room, so it wasn't a particularly restful sleep. His body was beginning to ache just about everywhere. He was stiff and sore and longed to soak in a hot tub so some of his pain could melt away, but he wouldn't even consider leaving Tony right now. He was in the process of nodding off again when Tony began to stir. Gibbs focused his attention on the younger man as Tony finally opened his eyes. "Hey there, how are you feeling? Are you in a lot of pain?"

Tony sleepily considered the questions for a few moments before answering, mentally taking stock of his body. "No, I'm not in pain. Just feel tired...kinda weak..." Tony said, looking up at Gibbs. "Though I've gotta say, boss, you look more tired than I feel."

"I'm fine...you don't need to be worrying about me, DiNozzo."

Tony nodded, still looking pretty sleepy, in Gibbs' opinion. "You warm enough?" Gibbs asked. "You need anything?"

"Kinda thirsty, boss," Tony replied. "Some water would be good."

"I'll get you some ice chips. Its all you're allowed to have," Gibbs said, apologetically.

"Okay, thanks."

Gibbs went off to get the ice chips and when he returned, a few minutes later, Tony looked like he had fallen back to sleep. Gibbs sat down, putting the ice chips on the tray by the side of the bed and Tony opened his eyes.

"Thought you were asleep," Gibbs said. He picked up the spoon in the cup of ice chips and scooped one out then spoonfed Tony with it.

"I can probably do that myself, boss," Tony said, a little bit embarrassed at having his boss feeding him.

"Don't make a big deal out of it, DiNozzo," Gibbs said.

"So...how badly messed up am I?" Tony asked after the ice chip had dissolved in his mouth.

"You'll be okay."

"Come on, boss...tell me the truth," Tony said with a penetrating gaze. "I want to know what I'm dealing with here."

Gibbs sighed heavily. "You were shot twice in the abdomen. They had to remove your spleen."

"Twice, huh? Only remember once...Guess dear old dad was really trying to finish me off."

"Don't think about him, Tony," Gibbs ordered softly. "He's not worth it. You need to be worrying about yourself right now."

"I still can't believe he did it," Tony said, ignoring Gibbs' advice. "He must really hate me...I don't know what I ever did for him to feel like that, you know?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Come on, Tony...we've had this conversation before. You didn't do anything. Its all him...he's a sick, abusive man. Its his problem, not yours. If you didn't believe me before, you certainly ought to believe me now."

"I know...its just hard though, you know? I mean...he was the only real family I had left...It isn't easy to accept that your father just doesn't give a damn about you. I guess I always knew it, but still...he actually shot me..."

"Yeah, I know...I was there..." Gibbs said quietly, reliving the incident in his mind.

The somber look on Gibbs' face made Tony realize just how much pain he had caused with his decision to leave the hospital. "I'm sorry, boss...I...I don't know why I did it. I guess I was just hoping he'd say something to make me believe he really did care after all...that he wasn't the horrible person you thought he was." He turned his head away from Gibbs dejectedly. "I was wrong..."

"Tony, hey," Gibbs placed his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Don't worry about that right now. When you're better, we'll talk about it, okay? I want you to just concentrate on getting better."

Tony nodded. "Alright...Thanks boss." He was still extremely troubled by all that had happened, but didn't really feel up to delving into it at that moment anyway. Gibbs was right. It could wait.

"Now why don't you get some sleep," Gibbs advised, noting that the younger man was already partway there, his eyes heavy-lidded.

"Yeah, I am pretty tired," Tony admitted as he allowed his eyes to close all the way. "You should go home boss...you need to get some rest too. I'll be fine..."

Gibbs watched as Tony fell asleep and then attempted to get as comfortable as possible in the hard, plastic chair. He was going to try to get a little sleep, as well, if he could.

xxxxx

Gibbs managed to fall into a semi-restful sleep, but when he awoke, he immediately sensed something was amiss. His eyes went to Tony who was muttering fretfully in his sleep, his face soaked with perspiration. Gibbs moved his hand toward Tony's forehead just to confirm what he already knew. Tony was running a fever once again. "Damn." He pressed the call button and a nurse arrived only moments later.

"He's burning up,"Gibbs explained before she had the chance to say a word. She nodded as she took out a thermometer and frowned when she got the reading. "I'll page the doctor," she said as she hurried out of the room.

"Wait, how high is his temp?" Gibbs called after her. But, it was too late. She was already gone.

Gibbs sighed and turned his attention back to Tony.

"Hurts," Tony murmured as he shifted uncomfortably in the bed.

"It's okay, Tony...I'm right here," Gibbs said, taking his agent's hand. "The doctor's coming. He'll help you feel better."

"Tell my father to leave me alone...make him go."

"He's gone, Tony...he's not going to hurt you anymore. I won't let him."

"I'm hot...really hot." Tony thrashed about on the bed and threw the covers aside. "Thirsty...need a drink."

Gibbs was about the press the call button again, to ask if Tony was allowed to drink anything yet, when Dr. Kennedy entered the room with the nurse.

"He's really burning up, Doc," Gibbs informed the doctor as he made his way to Tony's side.

"Yeah, so I heard...You're not going to make this easy on me, are you, Tony? he asked as he lifted up Tony's hospital gown and gently began to remove the dressing covering the bullet wounds.

"Stop, hurts," Tony gasped in obvious pain as he tried to push the doctor's hands away from him. "Don't."

"I'm sorry, Tony. I'll try not to hurt you," Dr. Kennedy said as Tony tried to move away from him, but was prevented from doing so by Gibbs. "I need to look at this though. I'll be as gentle as I can."

"Boss, make him stop," Tony pleaded. His eyes were glazed as he looked at Gibbs, "Help me...please..."

Feeling horrible to see his agent in such pain, Gibbs clutched Tony's hand tightly. "Its okay...I'm right here. He's just trying to help you."

Dr. Kennedy pulled the rest of the dressing away and his eyes were filled with concern. Both wounds were reddened and swollen, draining greenish-yellow pus.

"Adam? What is it?" Gibbs gave the doctor a worried look.

"His wounds are infected. I'm going to take some samples and get wound and blood cultures to see what's going on."

Gibbs sighed in frustration. "How much more does he have to go through?" he asked. His heart was breaking for Tony and he was starting to fear that he was never going to get better. It seemed every time he managed to take one step forward, he took two steps backward.

Dr. Kennedy sent the nurse off to obtain the wound and blood culture kits as well as a cooling blanket then turned back to Gibbs. "I anticipated there was a good chance of this happening, Jethro. Unfortunately, his system's defenses are really down right now, making him easy prey to pretty much anything that decides to attack him."

"I just hate seeing him this way," Gibbs uttered softly. Tony had fallen back to sleep, but was whimpering and appeared miserable.

"I know this isn't easy, but we're doing everything we can for him," Dr. Kennedy said, momentarily resting his hand on Gibbs' shoulder. "I'm going to get something to try and make him a bit more comfortable. I'll be right back."

Gibbs nodded, but didn't really pay any mind to the doctor as he left the room. His attention was focused on his agent. "God, Tony...I really wish I could change places with you," he whispered. "You have no idea how much..."

"Wanna go home..." Tony groaned in his sleep, his head moving back and forth on the pillow.

"I know you do...I wish you could go home too," Gibbs said, squeezing his hand gently. "As soon as you're well enough to leave here, I'll take you home and take care of you. We're going to get you through this, Tony."

Dr. Kennedy re-entered the room and administered some more drugs into the IV. "How are you holding up, Jethro?" he asked as they waited for the nurse to return with the culture kits.

"I'm fine," Gibbs replied. "It's him I'm worried about."

The doctor nodded. "I know that you're worried about him, but you're not going to do him a bit of good if you wind up sick too."

"I don't get sick."

"There's a first time for everything... Look, I know you don't want to admit it, but you've been through a lot too. He's going to be sedated for a while. I want to keep him as quiet and comfortable as possible while we work on getting his fever down. This would be the perfect time for you to go home and get some sleep.

"Don't need to, Doc," Gibbs said, shaking his head.

"Eight hours in your own bed, Jethro. Its not a life sentence. I'll let you know if he gets any worse."

Gibbs shook his head again. "When he starts doing better, I'll take you up on it, Adam, but, I just can't right now. I don't want to leave him."

The doctor knew when he was beaten and nodded. "Okay...I don't like it, but I do understand. When he's doing better though, you are going home if I need to drag you there myself."

"You think you can take me on, Doc?" Gibbs asked with a faint smile on his face.

"I'm sure you're a tough SOB under normal circumstances," Adam answered with a smile, "but I don't believe you're doing as well as you're leading me to believe."

"His father shot him..." Gibbs stated softly, not denying what the doctor had said. "He's sick and confused and so torn up over it emotionally...He needs me right now and I need to be with him just as much. Its just how it is...When he's better, I'll go home...I promise."

Adam couldn't help but admire the level of devotion Gibbs had towards Tony. It was nice to see how close their relationship was. He couldn't imagine Gibbs being any closer to Tony than if he really was his own son. "You, at least, need to eat something. I'll have something sent up for you because I know you won't go get anything on your own."

Gibbs nodded. "Thanks a lot...I really appreciate everything you're doing for us."

"Not a problem...I just want to get him well again."

Just then, the nurse came back into the room carrying the culture kits and cooling blanket. "Thanks, Jen." he said as he took the kits from her. Jethro? Do you mind waiting outside while we do this?" he asked. It was important to have as sterile an environment as possible. Gibbs retreated from the room and spent his time nervously pacing right outside the clear glass door until the doctor and nurse came out.

"All set," Adam stated. "I'm going to get these to the lab. It should take about 24 hours to get preliminary results back. In the meantime, I'm going to add on a broad-spectrum antibiotic to see if we can zap this."

"Can I go back in?" Gibbs asked, obviously antsy to do so.

Adam nodded. "Okay...And just so you know...I have a couch in my office if you want to get a little rest...a lot more comfortable than that chair in there."

"I appreciate that...I'll let you know."

"I'll send up something for you to eat," Adam stated, knowing Gibbs had no intention of taking him up on his offer.

"Thank you, Adam," Gibbs said as he turned to go back into Tony's room and Adam hurried off to the lab.

Gibbs made his way back to Tony's bedside, being careful not to make a sound. Even though he knew the younger man was sedated, he still didn't want to take a chance on waking him. He sat down and studied Tony closely. He seemed to be sleeping without distress. His breathing was easy and his facial features looked relaxed and free from pain. He very lightly rested his hand over Tony's, needing to feel the contact, trying to reassure himself that Tony was going to pull through this...that eventually everything would be okay. It just had to be.


	34. Chapter 34

**AN: Sorry for the long wait between chapters. This one is a little longer than usual to make up for it. Things have been really busy for me and I had to go see an eye specialist this week – Eye injections (yikes!) are in my future, which I am trying not to be too squeamish about. As always, thanks so much for your comments and reviews. They are always appreciated more than I can say. Will try to update again by the middle of the week.**

xxxxx

_"Wakey, wakey Jethro... Gibbs opened his eyes and saw Senior standing in front of him with a smug smirk on his face. He tried to lunge towards the man, but found that his hands and feet were tightly bound._

_Gibbs eyes met Tony's. The younger man was also bound and looked scared. "What the hell do you want with us now?" Gibbs asked. "Haven't you done enough already?" _

_"No...I haven't done nearly enough," Senior said. "There is still more to do, my friend."_

_"I'm not your friend," Gibbs snarled. He felt nothing but hatred towards this man. "Let Tony go."_

_"No can do, Agent Gibbs." _

_"He's your son, for God's sake. Haven't you tortured him enough?_

_Senior laughed as he shook his head. "No, no I haven't, but I promise, this is the last time I will ever bother him."_

_Gibbs' blood ran cold at Senior's words. His gut told him he wasn't going to like what came next. _

_"I managed to get hold of Mr. Bellingam's wonder drug...the one he was going to inject into Anthony before he was so rudely interrupted." The smile on Senior's face was pure evil as he pulled a syringe and a vial of fluid from his pocket. "However, Bellingham's loss is my gain. I will finish the job for him." _

_Gibbs shook his head in growing horror. "No. No, you can't. Give it to me instead. I'm the one you're really pissed at, damn it!"_

_Senior nodded. "Yes, I'm pissed at you, but Anthony's disloyalty to me has made him expendable. Perhaps I'll adopt a child to replace him. A boy who I can actually be proud of and who will be proud of me."_

_"You're out of your mind if you think anyone would ever give you a child. You're going to be in prison for the rest of your life."_

_"No matter," Senior replied with a shrug. He carefully drew the liquid from the vial into the syringe and approached his son who was lying in the hospital bed with a look of despair in his eyes. "I'm sorry it has come to this, son. You're just of no use to me anymore and its easier to dispose of you. If I was to let you live, it would only serve as a constant reminder of my failure to have raised a son I could be proud of."_

_"You didn't raise him," Gibbs shouted, futilely trying to loosen the bonds which were incapacitating him. "You left that to the boarding schools and summer camps. You ignored him throughout his childhood and then have the gall to blame him when he doesn't meet your lofty expectations?"_

_A look of rage came over Senior as he plunged the needle into Tony's arm and injected every drop of the poison into him. "This is your fault, Gibbs...all your fault."_

_Gibbs watched helplessly as Tony began to struggle to breathe, unable to draw air into his lungs and his skin taking on a bluish tinge. "Somebody help us!" he screamed. What the hell kind of a hospital was this? Couldn't anyone hear what was going on?_

_"Not...not your fault, boss," Tony gasped, giving Gibbs one last heartfelt look right before he lapsed into unconsciousness. The monitors he was attached to began began beeping furiously, but no one came. The heart monitor showed a flat line and Gibbs knew that Tony was gone._

xxxxx

Jethro...Jethro! Wake up!"

"Tony!" Gibbs heart was beating a mile a minute as he opened his eyes and looked around wildly, his eyes settling first on Ducky and then on Tony. "Is...is he alright?" he asked fearfully, still very caught up in the images of the dream and afraid to hear the answer.

"He's stable right now," Ducky replied with a nod. "Jethro, you are utterly exhausted. You need to go home and get some sleep. I will stay here with Tony."

"Not leaving him, Duck," Gibbs said, shaking his head.

"You're being stubborn and very foolish...Do you really think you can be of help to Anthony in the state you're in? One look at you and he's going to feel even more guilty than he already does, and you and I both know he's carrying around a substantial amount of unwarranted guilt as it is."

"I don't look that bad," Gibbs protested half-heartedly. "He's not going to notice anything."

"Say what you will about Anthony, but the boy is not stupid. He will notice."

Gibbs said nothing. The only sound in the room was the beeping of the various monitors. Finally, Ducky broke the long silence between the two men, when it became evident that Gibbs wasn't going to. "A few hours...that's all I'm asking," he began coaxingly. "Go home, take a hot shower and sleep for a bit. It will make all the difference in the world, Jethro."

"Can't."

"Why on earth not?" Ducky could not understand why his friend was being so stubborn about this.

"You know what his father did to him," Gibbs said, practically choking out the word father. "I'm the closest thing in the world he has to a father now. I'm not going to just abandon him now the way he would have...I won't do it. Besides..."

"Besides what?" Ducky prompted softly.

"Something could happen to him..." Gibbs whispered, a look of deep pain in his eyes. "I would never forgive myself if...if..."

"If Anthony were to die?" Ducky finished for him, looking back at Gibbs sympathetically.

Gibbs nodded, swallowing hard.

"He's strong Jethro...He's not going to die..."

"You don't know that, Duck." Gibbs raised his hand, shaking his head adamantly. "You DON'T know. You're not God."

"I just don't understand how you think this is helping anything. You're not sleeping. You're not eating. You're not doing a thing to take care of yourself. You certainly won't be able to take care of him."

"Dr. Kennedy sent me up some food."

Ducky lifted the cover off the tray which contained an an uneaten sandwich, an unopened bag of chips, some fruit and a piece of chocolate cake. "Ah yes, Jethro...I can see how well you've been eating. You haven't touched a bite of this."

"Just haven't gotten around to it yet...I was going to..."

"Jethro...won't you please just go home? If you won't do it for yourself, do it for Tony."

Gibbs sighed heavily. He was finding it more and more difficult to fight Ducky when in his heart he knew the older gentleman was right. There was another long silence as he inwardly debated what he should do. Finally, he realized he just couldn't fight it anymore. "Alright..."

"Alright?" The look of surprise on Ducky's face caused Gibbs to chuckle.

"Yes. I'll go home for a little while. I definitely could use a shower and a change of clothes," Gibbs admitted. "But if he gets any worse at all, even the slightest bit..."

"I will call you..." Ducky stated. "I promise, Jethro. Now go, get some rest. I will stay right here by his side until you return."

"Thank you." Gibbs lightly tousled Tony's hair and offered Ducky a glimmer of a smile. "Take good care of him, Duck..."

"I promise I will. I'll watch over him as if he were my own son."

Gibbs nodded. He was still feeling a little bit uneasy about leaving, but he knew he could trust Ducky. His nightmare had left him feeling very unsettled, so before leaving the hospital, he went to make sure that Senior was still secured and posed no threat to Tony. Once that had been established, he left the hospital and headed home.

xxxxx

When he arrived at his house, Gibbs immediately went to his bedroom. Now that he was alone, he no longer had to keep up pretenses that he was not exhausted. He stripped down to his boxers and t-shirt and crawled into bed. The cool, clean sheets felt unbelievably good as he stretched out then settled his aching body against his familiar and comfortable mattress. He fell asleep almost immediately.

xxxxx

"Ducky?"

The soft voice halted Ducky's telling of his tale. He had been regaling Tony with stories almost constantly since Jethro had left, convinced that Tony would somehow hear them, even in his unconscious state.

"Ziva, my dear, what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Ducky. I needed to see him." Ziva replied. She walked over to Tony's bedside and gently clasped his hand with her own as she looked down at him. "Where is Gibbs?"

"I managed to get him to go home for some much needed rest. Poor man was on the verge of collapse."

"He is very worried about Tony."

"As we all are, but he needs to learn to lean on others some of the time. I dare say any one of us would be glad to stay with Anthony."

Ziva nodded. "Yes. In fact if you would like to take a break, I would be happy to sit with him."

"Completely unnecessary right now," Ducky said shaking his head. "I promised Jethro I would stay with Anthony until he returned. However, I would greatly enjoy having your lovely company for a little while."

"Well that can certainly be arranged." Ziva smiled, but gave way to a frown as she studied Tony with her eyes. "How is he really doing?"

"He's holding his own," Ducky stated. "His fever has been starting to come down, which is definitely a step in the right direction."

"He looks very pale," she said, lightly stroking Tony's cheek with her hand. "He still feels quite warm to me..."

"Trust me, Ziva...he is doing better. He was burning up earlier. He's been put under sedation in order to get some much needed rest. There has definitely been an improvement."

"I do trust you, Ducky," Ziva replied. "I am just not used to seeing Tony like this. It is difficult."

"Yes, it is difficult, but we just have to have faith that he will pull through this and help him however we can."

"Yes, you are right," Ziva nodded, starting to feel a little bit better.

"Of course I'm right, my dear. Now why don't you make yourself comfortable. I have a story to tell that I think you'll enjoy very much..."

xxxxx

Gibbs sluggishly opened his eyes and slowly stretched, taking a few moments to get his bearings. It felt like ages since he had slept in his own bed. He had forgotten how comfortable it was.

His eyes lazily moved towards the clock on his bedside table and then he sat up with a start. Shit! He'd been sleeping for almost seven hours? How on earth had he slept for that long? He tossed the covers aside and grabbed for his cell phone, his hand trembling slightly as he dialed the numbers. At least, there were no missed calls which was good. Ducky's number went straight to voice mail and he realized his phone would likely be turned off if he was still in the ICU with Tony. 滴e would have called you if anything was wrong, he said to himself as he headed towards the bathroom for a quick shower and shave. Tony was fine...everything was okay...

xxxxx

Gibbs drove back to the hospital in record time. His thoughts were all over the place as he hurriedly made his way through the hospital corridors. He never should have left Tony. What on earth had he been thinking? The last time he had left him, he had ended up getting shot. This wasn't good. It wasn't good at all. He was practically in a state of panic by the time he made it back to the ICU. He apprehensively entered Tony's room and found Tony sleeping peacefully with Ducky dozing in the chair beside him. He gently felt Tony's forehead and breathed a sigh of relief when he discovered it to be considerably cooler than it had been before.

"Ducky? Hey, Duck." Gibbs lightly shook the older gentleman's shoulder, waking him.

"Jethro, you're back," Ducky managed to hold back a groan as he cautiously moved his stiffened muscles. It was truly a pity these rooms were too small to accommodate cots. The chairs were not in the least bit conducive to prolonged visits.

"Not the most comfortable place to sleep, is it?" Gibbs asked, having a pretty good idea of how Ducky was feeling.

I have slept in more comfortable places than this," Ducky admitted as he looked up at Jethro. His friend looked considerably better than he had before leaving the hospital. "So, I take it you were able to get a bit of rest? You look a lot better."

Gibbs nodded. "I did. Has Tony's fever broken? He seems much cooler than he was."

"Yes, the good Dr. Kennedy checked in on him a short while ago. He appears to be quite a likable fellow as well as a very capable physician."

"Yeah. I like him too. He's a good doctor. He's doing everything he can to get Tony well again. What did he say?"

"He was quite pleased with Anthony's progress and has begun weaning him off the sedation. He should be waking up before too long."

"That's good news. It'll be nice to see him with his eyes open." Relief was evident in Gibbs' eyes as he looked down at the man who had become such an important part of his life.

"Yes, it will indeed."

"You should go home now, Duck, get some rest yourself. I'll stay with him."

Ducky nodded in agreement as he slowly got to his feet. He was not about to argue the point. "Yes, I believe you're right, Jethro. I shall graciously accept your offer."

"I'm sorry I slept for so long...I didn't mean to."

"Your body's way of telling you that you needed the sleep, Jethro. And I suspect you still have a lot of catching up to do in that department. If Anthony is truly on the mend, I hope you won't be so stubborn about accepting our help. Ziva was here earlier and Abigail is positively chomping at the bit to come. Timothy is also very concerned and would gladly sit with him. The boy needs to know there are people who care about him... I suspect now more than ever..."

The last part of what Ducky said really got to Gibbs. Not only was it important for him to make Tony see how much he meant to him, but Ducky was right. He knew how important Tony was to the others and wanted the younger man to realize it as well, They were family and Tony needed to know that. "I think you're right Duck," Gibbs replied softly. "I only want what's best for him."

"I do know that, Jethro." Ducky rested his hand on Gibbs' shoulder and squeezed it affectionately. "And you have done an admirable job protecting and taking care of Anthony. I just think its time to let us share in that."

Gibbs nodded thoughtfully. "I'll definitely try to do that."

Satisfied that he seemed to have gotten through to his friend, Ducky decided to take his leave. He knew that Jethro would want to be alone with Anthony when the boy awoke and besides, his body definitely needed to recoup from spending all that time in the chair.

"I'm going to leave now. Remember what I said, Jethro and be sure to let Anthony know that we are all thinking of him."

"I'll do that. Thank you for staying with him. I really appreciate it and I know Tony will too."

"My pleasure, take care of yourself. I will see you soon."

xxxxx

The first thing he heard as he started to awaken was the steady beeps and hums of monitoring devices, signifying that he was still in the hospital. He tried to shift his position which caused an immediate jolt of pain to run through his abdomen. He winced slightly as moved his hand to find the bandages that heavily covered his stomach and the memories came back to him. He had been shot...by his father of all people. Wanting to escape the reality of the situation, he decided to go back to sleep, but then he heard Gibbs' voice.

"Tony? Tony...can you hear me?" Gibbs had been anxiously watching every movement Tony had been making, willing his agent to open his eyes.

"Yeah, boss...I can hear you," he said hoarsely as he finally opened up his eyes and gazed up at Gibbs.

"It's good to see you awake," Gibbs said, offering a relieved smile. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," Tony replied unconvincingly. He pretty much felt like crap.

"Are you in pain?" Gibbs gave his agent a concerned look. Something wasn't right with him.

"Nothing I can't handle, boss."

"I don't want you trying to handle the pain, Tony," Dr. Kennedy broke into the conversation as he entered the room. "Your body has been through a great deal. It's important to stay ahead of it. On a scale of one to 10 how would you rate it?"

"I guess about a seven..."

The doctor nodded. "You're about due for some more pain meds anyway. I'm going to take your vital signs." He took Tony's pulse, temperature and blood pressure, then made some notations in the chart. "Your vitals are good. Aside from the pain, is there anything else bothering you?"

"Feel pretty nauseous," Tony admitted. All he really wanted was to go back to sleep.

"Okay. We'll get you some more Compazine. Do you feel up to trying to drink a little something?"

Tony shook his head, pretty sure that anything he drank would most certainly come back up again.

"We'll wait on the liquids then...The nurse will be in shortly with your meds. Don't worry...we'll get you feeling better." Dr. Kennedy gave Tony an encouraging smile which was not returned. "I'm going off shift now, but Dr. Williams will be covering for me. She's an excellent doctor. I'll be back on tomorrow evening."

"Thanks." Tony didn't even attempt to hide his complete disinterest as he allowed his eyes to close.

"I'll be right back," Gibbs said unnecessarily since Tony wasn't paying him any mind. He followed Adam out of the room and into the hallway. "He doesn't seem to be doing very well..."

"He's not feeling great right now. But his temperature is down and that's the most important thing. The rest is going to take time, Jethro..both physically and emotionally."

"Yeah, I know," Gibbs said. "I guess I'm just impatient."

"Understandable. You've seen him going through a lot. Unfortunately, there are no quick fixes."

Gibbs nodded. "Guess I'm going to have to try to be patient then...Well, you'd better get out of here, get home to your family. Thanks for everything."

"You're welcome. Take care of yourself. I was glad to see you finally decided to go home and get some rest."

"Yeah, well...Ducky wore me out," Gibbs admitted with a grin.

"Good man that Ducky," Adam said, grinning back at him. "You should listen to him more often. I'll see you later, Jethro."

"See ya." Gibbs watched as Adam headed off then went back into Tony's room. Tony had already fallen back to sleep. "You hang tough, DiNozzo," Gibbs whispered as he settled himself down to continue his vigil.


	35. Chapter 35

**Thanks so much for all your kind comments and the well wishes. I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate it. Next chapter should be up sometime on the weekend. Enjoy and thanks again :)**

xxxxx

The next time Tony awoke, he found Gibbs dozing in the chair by his bedside. Mentally assessing himself, he realized that the drugs he had been given must have kicked in, because he definitely felt better than he had when he had awoken previously. He was very thirsty and a can of ginger ale on the mobile bedside table beckoned to him. Not wanting to wake Gibbs, he reached out for the can, but the table wasn't as close as it should have been. Tony managed to grasp the ginger ale, but his grip was awkward and he dropped it, sending the can clattering loudly to the floor.

"What the hell!" Abruptly startled from his sleep, Gibbs eyes flew open and he quickly got to his feet. "Tony? Are you alright?" he reached out towards the younger man, intending to check for fever, but Tony flinched away from him, causing Gibbs to pull back. "I'm not going to hit you, Tony," Gibbs said, keeping his voice soft as he sat back down.

"I...I know that, boss," Tony replied, not very convincingly though. He was still obviously skittish from the wary way he was looking at Gibbs.

Gibbs spied the can of ginger ale on the floor and pieced together what had happened. "You should have woken me, Tony." He leaned down and picked the can up off the floor.

"I'm sorry..."

"Nothing to be sorry about." Gibbs opened the can and some of the ginger ale popped out and fizzled over the sides of the can. "Guess I should have waited for it to settle a little," Gibbs said with a soft chuckle.

"Sorry." Tony's demeanor was somber and he kept shooting quick looks at Gibbs, then his eyes would shift away.

Gibbs thought Tony seemed almost frightened of him and didn't really know how to deal with it. He was about to repeat that Tony didn't have to be sorry, but then decided to just let it go. Instead, he poured some of the ginger ale into a plastic cup and silently handed it to his agent.

"Thank you..." Tony said quietly, almost whispering as he took the cup and took a small sip of the ginger ale.

"You feeling any better?" Gibbs asked deciding to break the awkward silence that had sprung up between them.

"Yeah...I feel better. Wish I could go home..."

"I know you do. Just follow the doctors' orders and maybe you won't have to stay here for too long."

"Doubtful."

Gibbs caught the almost hopeless sounding note in Tony's voice. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean every time I start to get better, something else bad happens."

"Don't think like that. Nothing else bad is going to happen."

"You don't know that...where is he, anyway?"

"Your father?"

"If that's what you want to call him, knock yourself out."

"He's on another floor, handcuffed and being guarded by an armed agent. He won't be getting near you again, Tony," Gibbs said softly, ignoring the younger man's sarcasm.

"Yeah, well...he really wants me dead. Maybe he'll just pay someone else to finish me off. You think Ziva has a price?" Tony asked with a bitter laugh.

"That's not even funny, DiNozzo," Gibbs said, a bit of anger creeping into his voice. "Ziva is very concerned about you. She'd be pretty hurt if she heard you say something like that..."

"It was just a joke, Jethro. Geeze...lighten up."

Gibbs had no idea if Tony's attitude was a good or bad thing, but decided to just go along with it and try not to antagonize the younger man any further. Tony's emotions were clearly all over the place. He couldn't help but consider what Tony had just said about Senior finding someone to finish the job though. It wouldn't be the easiest thing to accomplish, but it wasn't out of the realm of possibility either. He decided to put another agent outside Tony's room. It wouldn't hurt to err on the side of caution.

"Maybe you should try to get some rest," Gibbs suggested.

"Why? Am I annoying you?" Tony asked petulantly.. "Maybe you should leave then."

"You're not annoying me, " Gibbs stated calmly. If it helped Tony to lash out at him, so be it. He could definitely take it.

"Yes I am...I can tell."

Gibbs shook his head. "If you're trying to push me away, Tony, its not going to work. You're stuck with me, no matter what."

Gibbs' words struck a chord with Tony and to his own horror he could feel tears beginning to well up in his eyes. Gibbs wasn't about to abandon him the way his father had and would never deliberately hurt him. "I'm going back to sleep," he stated, quickly closing his eyes as he attempted to get his wildly sporadic emotions back under control.

"You do that, Tony," Gibbs said quietly as he gently patted his shoulder. He could see how hard Tony was battling to stay in control, but he knew he'd be unable to keep that up indefinitely. Gibbs had every intention of being there for him when the younger man ultimately released the emotions he was trying so hard to keep bottled up inside.

xxxxx

"Gibbs?"

"Abby." He had been so wrapped up in thinking about Tony that he hadn't even heard her come into the room. He was usually much more alert than that. He needed to stay focused.

"I know you didn't really want anyone to come here while Tony was still in the ICU, but I know that Ziva was here and I've known Tony for longer than she has and I didn't think it was fair that she got to come here and not me so I came anyway."

"Shh..." Gibbs said, putting his finger to his lips. "It's okay, Abs, just take a breath and keep your voice down. Tony needs his rest."

"How is he?" she asked, lowering her voice considerably as she went over to Tony's bed and put the stuffed hippo she was carrying beside him. "I thought maybe Bert would help cheer him up."

"He's doing better physically," Gibbs replied. "Mentally is a whole other story though..."

Abby nodded sadly. "Tony already had daddy issues before this whole thing started. I can't begin to imagine how he feels now. I still can't believe his father did that to him. How could he do that to him, Gibbs? How could he?" Tears were now freely streaming down Abby's cheeks.

Gibbs quickly got to his feet and pulled Abby into his arms, giving her a much needed hug as she buried her face against his shirt. "I don't know how he could have done that, Abby," he said quietly. "But, we're all going to help Tony. We'll get him through this."

After giving Gibbs' shirt a good soaking, Abby finally pulled back with a small sigh. "He's really getting better?" she asked.

"He is," Gibbs nodded. "Its just going to take time though. He's been through a lot."

"So have you." Concern was evident in Abby's eyes as she looked up at Gibbs.

"I'm fine, Abby."

Abby shook her head. "I don't believe you. We all know how much you care about Tony and you saw all these awful things happen to him. It can't have been easy."

"Like I said, I'm fine."

Abby decided to let the matter drop, knowing that Gibbs wasn't about to admit it, even if he wasn't fine. "So...I saw Agent Burton keeping watch out in the hall. Are you worried that Tony is still in danger?"

"Just a precaution."

"Really? Isn't Senior under guard?"

"Yes, he's under guard, Abby. It's only a precaution."

"You're really worried about Tony, aren't you?"

"I just don't want to risk anything else happening to him, Abs, no matter how remote the risk may be..."

Abby nodded. She could understand where Gibbs was coming from and she knew just how worried he was about Tony. "Has he woken up at all?" she asked softly, looking back down at the sleeping man.

"Yeah, a couple of times, just briefly though. He's been pretty wiped out. I think sleep is the most important thing for him right now."

Abby took that as her cue to leave. She had, at least, seen Tony for herself and felt a little bit better. "Can I get you anything, Gibbs? Have you eaten?" she asked.

"I'm fine, Abs."

"That means you haven't. You really do need to eat."

"I will, Abby. You don't need to worry."

"But I do worry, Gibbs," Abby said, drawing him into a hug. "I will always worry about you. Now promise me you'll eat something."

"I will."

"Promise?"

Gibbs had to fight not to roll his eyes. He knew Abby meant well, but he had more important things to worry about. "I promise."

"Okay...good." She leaned over Tony's bedside and pressed a light kiss onto the sleeping man's cheek. "Feel better, Tony," she whispered. "I'll be back to see you real soon."

xxxxx

Before he even opened his eyes, Tony could sense Gibbs' presence in the room. "You know...you don't have to stay with me 24/7." He opened his eyes and gazed back at Gibbs, feeling an irrational flare of anger towards the man.

"I know that," Gibbs replied calmly.

"So why are you doing it then?"

"I..." Gibbs shrugged, unsure how to answer the question. "I just want to make sure everything is okay with you."

"It is. So why don't you go home?" He knew Gibbs meant well, but he really needed some time to himself. He was beginning to feel like he couldn't even breathe.

Gibbs supposed Tony had a valid point, but he couldn't find it in himself to leave the younger man totally unattended, at least not yet. Too many things had happened. Even if it was irrational...he just couldn't help it. He was saved from answering the question by the sudden appearance of an attractive female doctor. "Hello, Mr. DiNozzo," she said, smiling at Tony.. "I'm Dr. Cheryl Williams. I'm going to be covering until Dr. Kennedy's next shift." She turned her head towards Gibbs. "You must be Mr. Gibbs, Dr. Kennedy told me all about you."

"Nice to meet you, Doctor Williams," Gibbs replied.

Dr. Williams turned her attention back to Tony. "Do you think you can sit up for me?" she asked.

"Yeah..sure." Tony awkwardly tried to get up into a sitting position, grunting softly as the movement caused some pain to kick up in his belly. With the doctor supporting his back, he finally achieved the requested position.

"How does that feel?" Dr. Williams asked as she arranged Tony's pillows so he could lean back against them.

"Uh...okay," Tony replied, still a little bit red-faced from the exertion. The initial pain he had felt when he first began to move had diminished.

"I'm going to examine you now," she said. "Mr. Gibbs, do you mind stepping out into the hallway please?"

Gibbs was about to say that Dr. Kennedy let him stay for Tony's exams, but after what his agent had just said, he realized that would be pushing things. Tony did have a right to some privacy, after all. "No problem," he said as he headed out of the room.

After Gibbs had left the room, Dr. Williams began to remove the dressings from Tony's abdomen. "How have you been feeling?" she asked. "Have you still been experiencing a lot of pain?"

"Its been better. But I've been sleeping a lot," Tony admitted.

"That's to be expected and its good for you," she said as she inspected his wounds. "They look good." She gently cleaned the wounds and applied a clean dressing. Then she proceeded to take Tony's vital signs. "You're doing very well. I think we can get you out of here and into a regular room. Sound good?"

Tony nodded. "Yeah, that sounds very good."

"Okay, I'll go make the arrangements for the transfer and see about starting you on a soft diet if think you feel up to it."

"Yeah, I'd like to try to eat something," Tony said. He knew the faster he could move things along, the faster he'd be able to go home.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked.

Tony shook his head. "No thanks. I think I'm good."

"Alright then. I'll send Mr. Gibbs back in and I'll see you later." She then hurried out of the room and a few moments later, Gibbs came back in.

"So, what's the verdict?" Gibbs asked, looking at Tony with obvious concern.

"She said I'm doing pretty well," Tony replied as he fiddled with the covers on his bed. He had no idea why he was feeling so uncomfortable around Gibbs all of a sudden. "I'm getting transferred to a regular room."

"That's good news," Gibbs was relieved that Tony was doing so well. He only wished his emotional wounds could heal as quickly. "Is there anything I can get for you?" he asked after another long and awkward silence.

Tony shook his head, staring down at the bed. It was then that his eyes focused on the stuffed hippo beside him on the head. "Abby was here?" he asked, picking it up.

"Yeah," Gibbs said, nodding. "She thought maybe it would cheer you up."

"That was nice of here," Tony said, oddly touched by the gesture. His father had not been a fan of stuffed animals of any kind. It brought back memories of a stuffed dog he had carried around when he was a kid. It had been one of the last gifts his mother had ever given to him and he had started carrying it around with him constantly after his mom had died. One night he had gone to bed with the dog and the next morning he had awoken to find it gone. He had known his father had taken it even though he had never dared ask about it and his father had never offered any information. He felt a lump develop in his throat thinking about it and he quickly swiped his sleeve over his eyes, once again feeling the beginning of welling tears. Dammit. What the hell was wrong with him? His emotions were so out of control. He tightened his grasp on the hippo, finding it to be somehow comforting in a weird way.

Gibbs could see Tony was becoming emotional again and he inwardly cursed his inability to be able to help his agent. He was totally at a loss as to how to deal with the situation. Finally, after Tony looked to be in control of himself again, he spoke. "Hey...you feel like talking?" he asked softly.

"No...not really, boss..."

Silence once again ensued, with neither man speaking. The silence was ultimately broken by the appearance of a member of the transport team who arrived to get Tony transferred to a regular room. "I'll meet you upstairs," Gibbs said. He wanted to go speak to Agent Burton and tell him of the change in rooms. He also wasn't really sure how Tony would react to the guard so he thought it best just not to mention it to him for the time being.

A short while later, Tony found himself in his new room, which he was glad to see was private. He really wouldn't have wanted to have to deal with a roommate. Gibbs hadn't arrived yet and he was relieved to at least have a little time to himself. Finding himself to be utterly exhausted once again, with his arm holding Bert snugly against his side, Tony drifted off into a troubled sleep.


	36. Chapter 36

**AN: Thanks so much, as always, for yur nice comments and reviews. It means more to me than I could possibly say. Enjoy the chapter :)**

**xxxxx**

As Gibbs headed towards Tony's new room, he couldn't get their earlier conversation out of his head. The younger man had clearly made his feelings known and Gibbs was blatantly ignoring them. Of course, in his own defense, the two times he had left Tony alone previously had both had disastrous consequences, first with Tony being kidnapped and then ending up shot. Still, Senior was now physically detained and under close watch as well. He wouldn't be able to get near his agent, but did Tony want to get to his father? He had no idea what was really going on in Tony's head at the moment and it was worrying him more than a little bit.

He stepped inside Tony's room and found him to be fast asleep with Abby's hippo at his side. He had noted Tony's reaction to the stuffed toy earlier and knew there was likely a story behind it. His thoughts once again went to Senior and what a fool the man was. He was now going to be going to prison and for what? For trying to kill his son who would have bent over backwards and done pretty much anything to have a good relationship with his father. "I'm so sorry all of this happened to you," he whispered as he took a seat next to Tony's bed. He knew that Tony now basically had no family to speak of, at least none that would care about him the way he deserved. But, hopefully, he would be able to help fill that void, if only Tony would let down the walls he had so carefully constructed around himself.

xxxxx

"Don't...Dad please. No...no, don't do it. Let me go! Somebody help me. Help me, boss. Please..."

"Its okay, Tony. Its just a dream. Everything's alright." Gibbs gently rubbed Tony's shoulder as he tried to ease him out of the nightmare.

"Boss?" Tony opened his eyes and looked up at Gibbs then around the room as he tried to get his bearings. His heart was beating rapidly and he kept nervously looking at the doorway, half expecting his father to come into the room to try to kill him again.

"Yeah, I'm here. You're safe, Tony."

Safe. Tony definitely did not feel safe. He wondered if he ever would again. He had basically turned into a nervous wreck, which he hated. Very little had truly scared him in the past. He couldn't stand feeling this way. He gingerly shifted himself into a sitting position and shakily ran his hand back through his hair. "I'm okay now..." His voice had a note of uncertainty in it and Gibbs didn't believe him for a second.

"Tony...talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about. I'm fine." Tony's eyes were roaming about, seemingly looking everywhere except at Gibbs.

"You're not fine."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tony asked, his face flushing with a sudden burst of anger. "Just because my father's a nutcase, does that make me one too?"

"That's not what I'm saying and you know it.."

"So, what are you saying then?"

"Dammit, Tony. Stop acting like everything is fine, that everything that happened hasn't had an effect on you."

"It hasn't."

"Bullshit. I was there. It sure as hell had an effect on me."

Gibbs' statement caught Tony's attention, in spite of himself. "What do you mean?" he asked softly.

"How do you think it made me feel that he snatched you right from under my nose and then when I find him, I see him trying to choke the life right out of you? Then the bastard shot you. I thought he had killed you, Tony...How the hell did you think I felt when that happened?"

Tony shrugged, bowing his head. "I don't know..."

Gibbs gently grabbed Tony's chin and tilted his head up so that he was forced to look back at Gibbs. "I wanted to pound him within an inch of his life. If it had been anyone else but your father, I don't know what I might have done."

"Yeah, some father..." Tony shook his head. "I don't see what good it will do to keep talking about this. Better just to try to forget it and put it all behind me, isn't it?"

"If it really was that easy, yes, I'd agree with you," Gibbs replied softly, "but, I think we both know that its not."

"I...I can't talk about it," Tony said, looking utterly miserable as he unconsciously pulled Bert into his lap, clutching the stuffed toy tightly against his abdomen.

"I know you don't want to, but you need to try," Gibbs prodded gently. He wished with all his heart he could spare Tony the pain he was going through. "This isn't the first time your father has hurt you, is it?"

Tony lowered his gaze and stared down at the bed. He really didn't want to talk about this. It was much better to keep it tightly bottled up inside. "My stomach hurts," he whispered. "I'm going to lie back down and try to sleep."

"No." Gibbs grabbed Tony's shoulder and for the second time that day saw the younger man flinch away from him.

"Let me go."

"I won't hurt you, Tony." Gibbs released his hold on Tony's shoulder, watching in dismay as he shifted a few inches farther away from Gibbs. The look in Tony's eyes spoke volumes and Gibbs imagined it was a look that DiNozzo Sr. had seen countless times in the past. He couldn't begin to comprehend the cruelty in the man to see a look like that on his own son's face and yet willingly abuse the boy.

"You know I'm not going to hurt you." He very gently placed his hand on Tony's back and began moving it in a slow, soothing motion."Talk to me, Tony."

Tony closed his eyes, allowing himself to relax under Gibbs' comforting touch. Moments of physical affection in his family had always been few and far between. "Its not what you think," he began softly, keeping his eyes tightly closed. Maybe if he didn't actually look at Gibbs, this wouldn't be so difficult. "I...I mean...he hit me, but...it wasn't that often...only if I got him really angry or if he'd been drinking a lot..."

"What about your mother?" Gibbs asked, wondering what it took to make Senior angry, imagining that it hadn't taken much. "Didn't she try to stop him?"

Tony shook his head. "It didn't start until after she died. He started drinking a lot...he seemed to always be angry...like he resented my presence. The first time he hit me...I came home late after school. We'd been playing baseball and I lost track of the time. It was starting to get dark and I knew I was in trouble. He grabbed me just as I was coming in the front door..." His voice caught and he shuddered as he became caught up in the memories. "I was a pretty scrawny kid at that age...I...don't even think he realized his own strength. He...he shoved me against the wall. I hit my head and was pretty dazed. I guess he batted me around some..I don't really remember...I just knew when I woke up I had a really bad headache and a lot of black and blue marks. He was smart though. He never hit me on the face or anywhere that would leave any obvious marks. After that, I tried really hard to be good, but, it didn't really matter whether I was good or not when he went on a drinking binge."

Gibbs was trying with every ounce of willpower he had to control the anger within him. He had always suspected, in fact, had been pretty sure that Tony had been abused as a child, but having it finally confirmed unleashed a whole different kind of fury. The thought of Senior taking out his frustrations on a newly motherless eight-year-old child was almost more than he could bear. He didn't like Tony's phrasing about trying to be good, as if misbehaving somehow justified him being beaten. "You didn't deserve that, Tony...none of that. You know that, don't you? Even if you might have done something wrong?"

Tony cautiously opened his eyes and looked back at Gibbs. "He told me it was my fault...said if I didn't act the way I did he wouldn't be forced to punish me that way.."

"My god, Tony. I am so sorry he put you through that. He had no right. You were a little boy. He should have been loving you and taking care of you, not beating you up...especially after the death of your mother."

"Yeah, well...I learned to deal with it," Tony admitted with a shrug. "Actually... sometimes I would do things wrong on purpose. Talk back to him or deliberately come home late. The old man didn't like defiance. The beatings showed me I had his attention...they were easier to bear than his indifference. Once he started sending me away to boarding school...it only confirmed what I had already knew...that he never really wanted me around..."

Gibbs felt his stomach turn over at the thought that Tony could have deliberately sought out a beating as a means to get attention. The thought horrified him. "I..." He didn't even know how to respond to this. He was beginning to regret every head smack he had ever given his agent, wondering just what the hell was going on in Tony's mind when he gave them. "Tony...the head slaps...I...I'm sorry...if I had known...I..." He shook his head regretfully. "I'm so sorry..."

"Come on, boss," Tony managed to give Gibbs a faint smile. "Trust me...it is not the same thing. Contrary to what you may be thinking about me right now...I am not that fragile."

"Still, I..."

"I've never questioned that you care about me, boss," Tony interrupted. "Please don't start feeling guilty. If I thought that was going to happen, I never would have told you any of this. Apples and oranges...its not the same thing at all."

"Alright...I believe you." Gibbs decided to let it go, at least for the time being. Besides, this wasn't about him. It was about Tony. He decided it was best to let him continue with his story. "How often...how long did the beatings go on for?" he asked quietly.

"Not really all that long. Once I got sent away to school, they pretty much stopped. I got myself invited to the homes of classmates for holidays and vacations. We grew even further apart and it pretty much stayed that way...at least until he showed up at headquarters that day..." Tony had been keeping a very tight hold on his emotions up until this point, but now he was beginning to falter.

"You okay?" Gibbs asked seeing the toll this was beginning to have on Tony. He didn't want to push him too hard.

Tony nodded. "Yeah...yeah, I'm okay." Now that he'd started this, he wanted to finish it. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Before my dad left...when he told me that he loved me...I really believed it. At least, I wanted to believe it was true. I...I don't even know why he bothered." Tears were beginning to well in his eyes now and he didn't bother to try to hide them. "Why'd he say it when it obviously wasn't true?" he asked, staring back at Gibbs.

The look of pure hurt on Tony's face upset Gibbs more than just a little bit. He wanted to protect the younger man, keeping him from all harm for the rest of his life, but knew that wasn't possible. "I believe he thought it to be true when he said it, Tony," Gibbs answered. "I don't think he was lying."

"Then explain this to me," Tony demanded. "He went to all the trouble of getting the ransom. He could have just said to hell with it, ignored the phone call or whatever, but he got the ransom money. Then he takes me out of the hospital, hires a doctor to take care of me, but then tries to choke me? Then to top it all off he shot me? It makes no sense to me, boss. It doesn't make any sense at all. I don't understand...I don't understand what he did. He never loved me. He never loved me at all, no matter how hard I tried to make him." The tears were flowing freely now. Gibbs had never seen him so young-appearing, looking so upset and totally vulnerable.

Gibbs got up from his chair and sat on the edge of Tony's bed, pulling him into his arms. "It's okay, Tony. Everything's going to be alright," he said, holding his agent tightly as he began to sob against his chest. "You've got to believe me that you did nothing to deserve this. Nothing at all. You were a little boy who was terribly wronged and you deserved so much better than you got. It wasn't your fault, Tony. None of it was your fault."

Tony couldn't even answer Gibbs. Now that the tears had started, he found he was unable to stop them. He cried for the loss of a childhood he had never really had, for a mother taken away too soon and for the father who he now knew, without a shadow of a doubt, didn't give a damn about him and most likely never had. Finally, the tears began to slow. He had exhausted himself. Gibbs continued to cradle him and he made no move to pull away. Part of him was embarrassed that he had broken down the way he had, but the larger part of him just felt protected in a way he really couldn't remember ever feeling before. He knew Gibbs would move heaven and earth to keep him safe and he knew the man cared about him more than anyone else did. Gibbs was rubbing his back in a soothing manner and Tony was on the verge of falling asleep, but he finally realized he needed to pull away and reluctantly broke Gibbs' hold on him. "Sorry boss..." he whispered as he pulled out of Gibbs' arms, unable to even look up at him.

"You've got nothing to be sorry about. That's something I think you've needed to do for a long time. It's a good thing, Tony. I'm proud of you."

A glimmer of a smile touched Tony's lips as he listened to Gibbs' words. There was no one he wanted to make proud more than this man. There was no one he respected more. "I don't know what to do now..." Tony admitted softly. "I...he was my only real family...I...I don't know...what should I do?"

"Tony? Tony, look at me,"Gibbs ordered gently. The lost look in Tony's eyes was tearing at his heart. "You are my son. Not by blood, but in every other way that matters. I am your family. Ducky, Abby, Tim and Ziva...they are your family too. Its not blood that matters. Its the way you feel about someone that makes them family...real family. You've got to let him go, son. It won't be easy but you've got to try to move on. I'll help you in every way that I can."

Tony felt himself tear up again when Gibbs called him son. God, he was such a mess. "I'm going to have to face him...I...I have to do it."

"Not yet though, Tony. It's been a hell of a day. Right now you need to rest," Gibbs said apprehensively. He didn't like it, but he realized it was something Tony needed to do. He would try to hold him off for as long as he could. He just hoped that when the time came, Tony would be strong enough to face his father without getting hurt in the process...

xxxxx

**AN2: I really hope that wasn't too sappy, but I thought Tony needed to have an emotional release after all he's been through. Thanks for reading :)**


	37. Chapter 37

**AN: Here's the next chapter...finally. Sorry for the delay in getting it out. I had a little trouble getting it started and then was just really busy with work, etc., etc. In any case, this chapter is a pretty long one so hopefully that will help make up for the delay. As always, thanks so much for all your feedback and support of this story. I think we're approaching the home stretch. Enjoy :)**

xxxxx

When Tony awoke, his eyes automatically went to the chair where Gibbs always was. It was empty. His first thought was that Gibbs had been so appalled by his emotional display the day before that he had decided to leave. Damn...he knew he should have just kept his feelings to himself. Hell, after breaking down the way he had, Gibbs probably didn't even want him as an agent anymore. Agents who were basket cases likely weren't thought of as top prospects by NCIS. He could feel his anxiety level rising and was so distressed that he didn't even notice Gibbs getting up from the cot on the other side of his bed. Gibbs placed his hand on Tony's shoulder and the younger man jumped.

"Why so jumpy, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, looking at Tony with concern.

"I..." Tony looked at Gibbs then he caught sight of the cot. "I...I thought you'd left..."

Gibbs shook his head. "Nope, still here...In any case, I wouldn't have just left without letting you know."

"Oh." Tony nervously twisted the blanket in his hands.

Gibbs sighed, wondering what was up with his agent now. He had thought that some progress had been made, but now it seemed that Tony had taken a step backwards again. "What's wrong, Tony?" he asked and then held up his hand. "And before you say nothing, I know its something so let's just cut to the chase." Gibbs was a little bit grumpy after having spent the night on the cot, which had been sent in for him while Tony had been asleep. His back was aching fiercely and he actually thought he may have been better off sleeping in the chair.

"Nothing's really wrong," Tony said with a shrug. "I...I just thought you had left because..." he trailed off uncertainly and Gibbs understood what Tony was getting at.

"Because of what you told me?" he asked gently. "Come on, Tony...how could you think that?"

"I was crying like a little girl, boss," Tony said, clearly embarrassed by what had transpired. "I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want anything to do with me anymore..."

At those words, Gibbs saw red. "You really think so little of me, DiNozzo?" he asked sharply.

"Huh?" Tony gave Gibbs a confused look. "You know I think the world of you, boss..."

"Well you've got a funny way of showing it," Gibbs said. "You think I'd just abandon you now, because of what your father did to you? Because you got emotional about everything that's happened? What kind of a person do you think I am?"

"I...I'm sorry, boss...I wasn't thinking...I know you'd never just abandon me..."

Any anger Gibbs had been feeling quickly left him upon seeing Tony's dejected look and slumped posture. He was beginning to wonder if he was ever going to get his confidence back again. "It's okay, Tony. I just hope you really do know that, because its the truth. You're not getting rid of me that easily."

"I know that...I really do...I don't even know what's wrong with me anymore. I thought things would seem a lot better today, after I got everything out...I don't know though...I don't really feel all that different..."

"Its going to take time, Tony. There's no quick fix for this. You need to be patient with yourself and just let yourself feel what you feel."

"Yeah...I know you're right," Tony said, but he didn't look as though he really believed his own words.

Gibbs ran his hand back through his hair in obvious frustration and Tony shot him a guilty look which made Gibbs even more frustrated. "I'm not upset with you," he stated, wanting to reassure Tony. "I'm just pissed off at your father..." He was basically pissed off at the whole situation. He despised what Senior had done...hated the way Tony had been stripped of all his self confidence. Now, more than ever, he felt that Tony would benefit from speaking to a therapist, but he didn't want to bring it up yet, certain that the younger man would balk at the idea. He was about to suggest that Tony should get some rest when he remembered that they had just woken up. Damn...it was going to be a really long day...

xxxxx

Abby was sitting at Gibbs' desk, gazing forlornly at Tony's empty chair, when Ziva and McGee returned to the office after conducting a field interview.

"Something wrong, Abs?" McGee asked after exchanging a quick look with Ziva.

"Hi guys, I talked to Gibbs. He said it would be okay for us to see Tony today. In fact, he actually encouraged it. Evidently, Tony's pretty down today."

"Well, you cannot really blame him," Ziva stated as she settled herself behind her desk.

"That's true," Tim nodded his head in agreement as he booted up his computer. "After all, his father did try to murder him. Its only natural to be depressed after something like that." He, himself, couldn't begin to imagine such a thing and was grateful for his own relatively normal family.

"Still, I wish I could think of something to cheer him up." Abby twirled around in Gibbs' chair as she pondered the situation.

"We can bring him a milkshake," Tim suggested. "That made him pretty happy the last time we brought him one.

"Yes, we can do that," Abby said agreeably, "but we need something more than just that."

"Some new movies perhaps?" Ziva asked.

"Okay...I'll check out the new releases on my lunch," Abby said. She still wanted to do something more though. Movies and a milkshake might cheer Tony up a bit, but they needed to do something that would really put a smile on his face. Then she had a thought…something that would definitely make Tony laugh, especially if she could get Timmy to go along with it. "I have an idea," she said with a mischievous smile...if you'll both promise to go along with it. I think we can definitely brighten up Tony's day."

xxxxx

Just before lunchtime, Dr. Williams came into the room. Gibbs had gone off to get some coffee so Tony was alone. "Hello, Mr. DiNozzo, how are you feeling today?"

"I'm feeling better," Tony said. "Itching to get out of here."

The doctor nodded as she looked at Tony's chart. "No fever and your vitals have been good. I'm going to send a physical therapist to walk with you this afternoon. That will get you one step closer to going home, though you're still a few days away from that."

"How about food?" Tony asked. "Can I eat something other than scrambled eggs and Jello?"

Dr. Williams chuckled as she removed the dressing. "I think that would be fine if you're feeling up to it."

"Oh I'm definitely feeling up to it," Tony said, watching the doctor's face as she examined him. "How does it look?"

"It's looking good," she said, smiling as she put a fresh dressing on the wound. "You're coming along very nicely."

"That's good news," Tony said with a faint smile. He was really tired of being sick. He was glad that he was finally starting to get better.

"Well, you take care of yourself," she said, returning his smile. "I'm not sure if I'll see you again. Dr. Kennedy will be back on duty this evening."

"Thanks a lot," Tony said. The doctor left the room and Tony started mindless flicking through

television channels with the remote control. He was starting to get really bored. Even watching his DVDs wasn't helping all that much.

Gbbs came back into the room carrying his coffee and a small bundle of magazines which he tossed on Tony's bed.

"Thanks, boss," Tony said, sighing to himself when he realized Gibbs hadn't brought him anything to eat. "Doctor was here. She said I'm doing good. I can eat real food now too."

"Yeah?" Gibbs raised an eyebrow as he took a sip of his coffee. "Well, that's good to hear, DiNozzo."

"Yeah, so maybe you can get me something that's actually edible?"

"We'll see," Gibbs said noncommittally.

"When?"

"I said we'll see, DiNozzo," Gibbs said. "Don't push it."

Tony sighed and rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything else as he began poking through one of the magazines Gibbs had brought. "A burger would be good," he said under his breath after a few minutes of silence.

Gibbs smirked as he pointedly continued to ignore Tony.

"Ice cream would hit the spot," Tony continued, still speaking softly. "A turkey sandwich or roast beef...grilled cheese maybe...Oh come on, boss. You're killing me here..."

"Patience is a virtue, DiNozzo...you need to learn to have some."

Just then, the dietary aide came into the room, carrying Tony's lunch tray. Tony picked up the dome and peered underneath, making a face. "Soup, applesauce, I don't know what the heck this is..." He poked his fork at the brownish-colored, mush-like substance on his plate, then pushed the whole tray aside. He wasn't going to eat this crap. Gibbs was watching his agent out of the corner of his eye, unsure of how much longer he was going to torture him.

"Guess I'll just have to starve to death, Bert," Tony said, picking up the stuffed hippo. "Nobody around here will go get me any real food for lunch..." He glanced at Gibbs hopefully, but the older man was steadfastly ignoring him. Realizing he was getting nowhere fast, Tony resumed his channel surfing, not that there were all that many channels to go through. He finally settled on an "I Love Lucy" rerun, and it wasn't long before he dozed off.

At that point, Gibbs finally took pity on his agent. He sprawled a note saying he would be back soon, leaving it beside Tony on the bed, then went off to get them both some lunch. On his way out of the hospital, he decided to take a detour and check in with the agent guarding DiNozzo Sr.

"Hey, Parker, how's it going?" Gibbs asked, greeting the agent.

"Hey, Gibbs. Things are quiet, real quiet," Parker replied. This assignment was about as exciting as watching paint dry. "How's Tony?"

"He's coming along pretty well," Gibbs responded.

"That's good to hear. Give him my best wishes."

"I'll do that," Gibbs replied. "I'm heading out to grab some lunch. Can I get you something?"

"Oh yeah, that'd be great." Parker gave Gibbs his lunch order and Gibbs started to head off when Parker called him back again. "Not sure if you know already, but word is they're going to be releasing DiNozzo Sr. tomorrow."

"No...I actually didn't know that...Thanks for letting me know..." Gibbs headed off again, though this time he was troubled. Of course, getting Senior back behind bars where he belonged was a good thing, however, he knew Tony wanted to confront the man and he wasn't sure he was mentally ready to do so. He could just keep quiet about Senior leaving, but he didn't really feel right about doing that either. Gibbs sighed as he continued his inward debate. It seemed that nothing was ever easy.

xxxxx

"That's good...You're doing very well Tony," Ann Marie, the pretty physical therapist, praised him as they turned around to head back to his room.

"Thanks," Tony said a little bit breathlessly. He didn't feel like he was doing well, but if she thought so, who was he to correct her?

Finally, they reached Tony's room and he gratefully collapsed onto the bed. Damn. He felt like he had just run a marathon. He felt really out of shape. "Hey boss," he said, noting Gibbs had returned from wherever he had gone. "This is Ann Marie, my physical therapist."

"Jethro Gibbs," Gibbs said, extending his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Ann Marie said with a smile. "Tony and I just took a walk. He did very well." She turned her attention back to Tony. "I'll be back to see you again tomorrow. I encourage you to sit up as much as you feel comfortable and take short walks, just not by yourself."

Tony nodded. "She's really nice," he said to Gibbs after the young woman had left.

"She seemed nice," Gibbs said as he took a healthy bite of the sandwich he was eating.

Tony looked around quickly, but saw nothing other than Gibbs' sandwich and drink. "You didn't bring me anything?" he asked with a crestfallen look.

Gibbs shrugged. "I didn't want to wake you up and I didn't know what you wanted."

"I'm not exactly picky," Tony grumbled, shooting an annoyed look at Gibbs. He couldn't believe he hadn't brought him anything. It was just plain mean. "You know, Dr. Williams really did say I could eat something other than mush, just in case you don't believe me, because that's the only reason I can think of that you didn't bring me something...anything. You can just ask her if you think I'm lying."

"Relax, Tony. It's in the drawer," Gibbs said, realizing that with Tony's current mental state, he might have pushed things too far. He opened the drawer to the bed stand and pulled out a wrapped sandwich and a soda then handed them to his agent.

"Sorry, boss..." Tony said sheepishly. He should have realized Gibbs was playing with him. He couldn't even take a joke anymore.

"It's okay, Tony."

"Thanks..."

"The team will be coming over later after work," Gibbs began, trying to ease the awkwardness that had sprung up between them. "I was thinking of having them bring over dinner from Molly's, if that's okay with you." Molly's was a little restaurant that specialized in very good home cooked meals.

"Sure, boss, that sounds great." Tony unwrapped his sandwich and took a bite, relishing the flavor of real food. "Mmmm...this is good, boss."

"Now that the tension had eased, Gibbs decided this was definitely not the right time to bring up the subject of Tony's father leaving the hospital. Maybe he'd tell Tony later on...or maybe he wouldn't. He still hadn't made up his mind.

xxxxx

The rest of the afternoon was spent relatively quietly. Gibbs engrossed himself in a book and Tony had watched a mini Magnum marathon which had kept him fairly content. A dinner tray was brought in at around 5 o'clock, but Tony didn't even bother to see what it contained since he knew dinner was being brought over. At a little after 6, Ducky arrived, carrying a bagful of takeout containers from Molly's.

"Hello, Anthony. You're looking a good deal better than when I saw you last."

"Hi Ducky, I'm feeling pretty good."

"And how are you, Jethro?"

"I'm doing good, Duck. Where are the others?"

"They'll be here momentarily," Ducky said with a smile.

"Hey, Ducky?" Tony looked at the older gentleman with a serious expression on his face. "I want to apologize to you for lying about what I wanted that money for...I shouldn't have done that..."

"No, Anthony. You shouldn't have," Ducky stated. "But, I dare say that you've been punished quite enough, my boy. I don't want you to fret about it anymore. I forgive you."

"Thanks, Ducky," Tony said with a relieved smile. "I promise never to take advantage of your friendship like that again."

"And I intend to make sure he keeps that promise," Gibbs said. "We will be having a long discussion about what he did."

"Oh Jethro. I do believe the boy has learned his lesson," Ducky protested

"It's okay...I deserve it." Tony gave Ducky a faint smile.

"Don't worry, I won't be too rough on him," Gibbs inwardly agreed that Tony had been punished more than enough. He just wanted to make sure Tony understood the seriousness of what he had done.

Just then, Abby came prancing through the doorway. She was dressed in a clown outfit, complete with face paint and was carrying a half dozen balloons.

"Wow, you look great, Abby," Tony chuckled as he admired Abby's costume. His grin broadened when Ziva entered the room behind Abby, dressed similarly. He would have never expected the former Mossad agent to have dressed up as a clown. "You both look fantastic."

"You're looking pretty fantastic yourself, Tony," Abby stated, amazed at how much better Tony appeared.

"I'm feeling much better, Abs"

"I am glad you are doing better," Ziva said as she leaned over and gave Tony a kiss.

"I think that's the first time I've ever been kissed by a clown." Tony said, smiling at Ziva. "So, where's McGee? Couldn't he make it?"

"What?" Abby turned around in surprise. "Timmy, you get in here right now, Mister!"

Gibbs and Tony both waited expectantly for McGee to come into the room and when he did, both men burst into laughter. "Oh man, McGoo...you're the saddest looking clown I've ever seen," Tony gasped. "How'd you ever let her talk you into it?"

"It wasn't easy," Abby smiled in satisfaction. She had done a lot of arm twisting to get McGee to agree, but the look on Tony's face now was definitely worth it. She had known McGee dressed up as a clown would be a success.

"Somebody needs to take a picture," Tony demanded, still laughing. "This is going to be my new screen saver when I get back to work."

Abby pulled out her cell phone and handed it to Ducky. "Take our picture, Ducky."

"No way!" McGee attempted to escape from the room but was thwarted by Ziva. "Don't be a sorry sport. This is making Tony happy," she whispered.

"Spoil sport." McGee sighed as he resigned himself to his fate as a clown on Tony's desktop.

Pictures were taken and then the meals were distributed. Tony appeared happy and relaxed and Gibbs was very pleased with the success of the evening. Moments like these gave Gibbs hope that eventually Tony would be able to recover both physically and mentally from all that had happened.

"Man...I am stuffed." Tony gave a contented sigh as he drained the last bit of his milkshake. "That was so good. Thanks a lot, guys."

"You're welcome, Tony," McGee said.

Tony grinned at the younger agent, but was consciously keeping himself from making any Mc-clown or Mc-Bozo comments. He knew Tim had only done this to try to cheer him up and he didn't have the heart to taunt him about it. He unsuccessfully tried to stifle a yawn. Although he was feeling a whole lot better, he had to admit his usual stamina was still lacking quite a bit.

"Oh my, look at the time." Ducky was the first one, besides Gibbs, to notice Tony's heavy-lidded eyes. "I think it's about time we get going, besides, visiting hours are just about over."

Gibbs gave Ducky a slight nod of approval as the others readied themselves to leave. "You take care of yourself, Tony," Abby said, hugging him tightly.

"Thanks for everything, Abs." Tony returned her hug and smiled. "And thanks for letting me borrow Bert too. He's been more helpful than you know."

"He tends to have that effect on people."

"Goodbye, Tony." Ziva gave him another hug and kissed his cheek. "I will try to come back and visit tomorrow."

"Thanks, Ziva." Tony's eyes sparkled as he gazed back at her. "You really do make an adorable clown."

"Try to keep out of trouble," Tim said as he gently patted Tony's shoulder.

"I will. Thanks, Probie." Tony mentally congratulated himself when he was able to look at McGee without laughing.

"Keep on improving like this, my boy, and you'll be home before you know it," Ducky stated, affectionately rumpling Tony's hair. "I will see you soon, Anthony."

"I'll see you, Ducky. Thanks for coming."

"See ya, Duck," Gibbs echoed. "Thanks everyone."

"That was really fun," Tony commented as he tried to arrange his pillows more comfortably after everyone had left, then chuckled. "I still can't believe McGee."

Gibbs sighed softly, hating himself for what he was about to do, especially when Tony was so relaxed and at ease. He knew if he kept it from Tony, his agent would be angry and resentful and would likely try to go off half-cocked the way he had before. At least this way, he would be able to have some control over the situation. "Tony...there's something I need to tell you..."

"Yeah, boss?" Tony looked back at Gibbs unsuspectingly, a half smile on his lips.

"I..." Just get it out, Jethro. "I found out earlier that your father is getting released from the hospital tomorrow...If you want to see him before he leaves, you're going to have to do it really soon..."


	38. Chapter 38

**AN: Always, thanks so much for all you comments and reviews. Over 1000 now which totally blows my mind. You guys are amazing!**

**For those of you who were wondering, I finally had the first eye injection procedure which was nowhere nearly as bad as it was in my imagination. Still no change in my vision but I guess these things take time and I need to be patient. **

**Warning: Description of child abuse in this chapter which some may find disturbing.**

xxxxx

"My father?" The smile abruptly disappeared from Tony's face and his stomach flip-flopped. He felt a sudden chill run down his spine and he pulled the covers up more tightly around him.

"You okay?" Gibbs asked. The sudden change in Tony's demeanor was making him wish he had just kept his mouth shut.

Tony nodded. "Yeah...I'm okay boss." The haunted look in Tony's eyes told a different story though.

"Hey...You don't have to do this, Tony," Gibbs began as he gently placed his hand on Tony's shoulder. "There's plenty of time for you to see him...or not. Hell, I don't care if you ever go see the bastard. I just thought you ought to know. I didn't want to keep this from you."

"I appreciate you telling me." Tony was aware that probably wasn't an easy choice for Gibbs to make and he would have been angry to find out Gibbs had deliberately withheld the information from him. Now that he knew though, he wasn't sure what he wanted to do. Was he mentally strong enough to go up against his father right now? He honestly didn't know. "What time are they releasing him?"

Gibbs shrugged. "I don't know. I would guess sometime late morning, but that's just a guess."

"Yeah, that sounds about right..." Not a whole lot of time to decide. "I...I think I'm going to try to get some sleep."

"Okay...if you want to talk..."

"Thanks boss..." Tony played around with his pillows and huddled down in the bed with the covers pulled almost over his head. He then clasped Bert against his chest. 'Hugging stuffed animals, Anthony. You really are losing it.' Not in the least bit tired, his mind started working overtime and long forgotten memories began filtering in...

"_Your house is awesome, Tony," Billy Franklin said as he and Tony ran down the stairs, giggling. They had just finished a rousing game of hide and seek and now were heading outside to play some ball._

_"No running in the house, Master Anthony." The voice of Mrs. Peterson, the housekeeper shouted, which only caused the two boys to giggle more._

_"Master Anthony," Billy mimicked. "Why does she call you that?"_

_"I don't know," Tony shrugged. "One of my father's stupid rules, I guess."_

_"I'm glad we don't have a housekeeper," Billy said. "Its just like having another nagging mother."_

_Tony gave Billy a hurt look at the insensitive remark. His own mother had only been gone for a couple of months. Billy was totally oblivious to what he had said though. "Hey, Tony...catch." With a mischievous grin, Billy threw the baseball towards Tony, but his aim was way off the mark. Tony made a frantic grab towards the ball, but had no chance and the ball crashed into a piece of porcelain artwork, sending it loudly crashing to the floor. _

_"ANTHONY DINOZZZO! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?"_

_Tony and Billy exchanged terrified looks. "I...I'm sorry, Tony...I've gotta go home." Billy then fled from the house as fast as his legs could carry him. _

_"WHERE ARE YOU, ANTHONY? YOU ANSWER ME, NOW!"_

_Scared to death, Tony ran up to his bedroom and crawled under his bed, his whole body shaking with fear. He knew that his father would never believe that it was just an accident. He was in really big trouble. _

_"THE LONGER YOU STAY HIDDEN, THE WORSE IT IS GOING TO BE ON YOU! I WILL NOT TOLERATE DEFIANCE, ANTHONY."_

_The door to his bedroom opened and Tony held his breath as he watched his father's large feet moving around the room. 'Go away, go away, please go away,' the small boy silently pleaded. He yelped in terror as he was suddenly grabbed by the ankle and harshly pulled from his hiding place. _

_"Daddy, no! I'm sorry. It was an accident!"_

_"You need to learn, Anthony," Senior said as he began to unbuckle his belt._

_"We...we didn't mean to..."_

_"That's no excuse...no excuse at all...Now take your clothes off."_

_Tony had just mutely stared up at the imposing figure, paralyzed with fear._

_"Do...It...NOW!"_

_The beating had been particularly vicious and had gone on for a seemingly endless amount of time with brutal lashes across the child's bare back and buttocks. Mercifully, the assault had finally ended with Tony collapsing, semi-conscious onto his bedroom floor. He had been nursed back to health by his father's household staff and then sent away to camp for the remainder of the summer. His father had never checked on him even once...had never even said goodbye..._

Tony felt sick to his stomach as he recalled this particular memory. He was beginning to realize his childhood was much worse than he had realized. He wondered how many other long forgotten memories were buried and waiting to come to the surface. He hugged Bert tightly and shed silent tears for that terrified little boy who had been utterly helpless against the cruel and heartless monster who was his father. He needed to face that bastard. He needed to tell him what he thought of him and then let him go, once and for all. His decision made, Tony finally fell into an exhausted sleep.

xxxxx

"Jethro?" Dr. Kennedy spoke quietly as he came into the room.

"Hi, Adam. Its nice to see you. Are you here to examine Tony?" Gibbs whispered

"Not if he's asleep," Adam said, shaking his head. "This is more of an informal visit, just wanted to check up on you guys. I spoke with Dr. Williams and she told me he's doing quite well."

"Yeah, he seems to be," Gibbs agreed.

"That's good. I'm planning on sending him for a chest x-ray tomorrow, see about maybe getting that chest tube out."

"I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that." Gibbs hesitated for a moment then continued, glancing at Tony who appeared to be sleeping soundly. "Can I talk to you out in the hall?" he asked quietly.

Adam nodded and the two men walked out into the hallway. "What's on your mind, Jethro?"

"Same thing as always, I guess...Tony," Gibbs admitted with a faint smile.

"What about him?" Adam asked. "Don't you think he's coming along?"

"Physically, he definitely is...its the emotionally that I'm worried about." Gibbs leaned back against the wall with a troubled sigh. "His father is being released tomorrow. I maybe shouldn't have told him...but I didn't want to keep it from him. Anyway, I'm pretty sure he's going to want to see him."

"And you think it will do more harm than good," Adam stated.

"I just don't know," Gibbs said, shaking his head. "Maybe it will help him. There's just a lot of emotional baggage there..." He didn't want to say too much. If Tony wanted to share details of his past with the doctor, he could do that himself. Gibbs wanted to respect Tony and didn't feel it was his place to do so.

"Are you going to be with him?" Adam asked.

"In a heartbeat...if he'll let me, that is," Gibbs said. "I just don't know that he will. He may want to do this himself. I can't force him."

"No...no, you can't," Adam replied thoughtfully. "What about therapy? It could help him deal with all that's happened. Do you think he's open to it?"

Gibbs shrugged. "I definitely think it could do him some good...Just not sure if he'd go for it."

"Might not be a bad idea for you, either..." Adam said tentatively.

"Me?" Gibbs laughed. "I definitely don't need it."

Adam couldn't help smiling. "Might help him if you were a little bit more receptive to it."

"But I don't need it," Gibbs repeated, shaking his head. "He's the one with the fucked up father, not me."

"But you're the one carrying around all the guilt about not being able to protect him..."

"Where did you get that from?" Gibbs asked, though he didn't deny it.

"Just little things I've heard...powers of observation. Doesn't take a genius to figure it out."

"Yeah, well...I'm not much into talking about my feelings...it just isn't my thing. Tony though, he'll talk a blue streak once you get him going. It could do him some good."

"It could do you both some good, Jethro," Adam said seriously. "You've both been through a hell of an ordeal. Maybe working through it together could help both you and Tony..."

"I'll think about it," Gibbs said gruffly, growing uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation.

"Okay, okay...I'm not going to push you," Adam said. "I've got to go check up on a few other patients. Get some rest, Jethro. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay, thanks, Adam." The two men shook hands, then Adam headed off and Gibbs went back into Tony's room. Somehow, he didn't think he would be getting a whole lot of sleep tonight.

xxxxx

"Today's the day, Bert," Tony whispered, not wanting to awaken Gibbs. He was surprised that he had actually managed to get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. He was nervous and had no idea what he was going to say, but he needed to do this. It was the only way he could finally defend the small boy from years ago who had had nobody in his corner to protect him. 'You can do this, Anthony,' he told himself. 'You've got to do this.'

"Tony?" Gibbs painstakingly got up from the cot and slowly stretched his sore muscles, grimacing slightly as he did so.

"You really need to go home and get a good night's sleep, boss," Tony stated.

"How are you feeling?" Gibbs asked, choosing not to acknowledge what Tony had said.

"I'm good. Feeling better every day."

"That's good." Tony really was starting to look better. He was nowhere near as pale as he had been and the dark circles under his eyes were beginning to diminish. "Ha...have you decided what you're going to do?" He was pretty sure he knew, just hoped his gut was wrong this time.

Tony nodded. "I'm going to go see him, boss. I have to do it."

"Are you sure, Tony? Really sure?"

Gibbs knew in his heart that he couldn't protect him forever. Didn't mean he couldn't try though. He'd just been through so much. Gibbs didn't want to see him hurt anymore.

"I'm sure. I hope you can understand." Tony didn't want to disappoint Gibbs. The man had done so much for him. He just really needed to do this.

"Its okay, Tony...I do understand." Gibbs gave Tony's shoulder a gentle pat.

"Thanks, boss."

"But, Tony? There is one thing you can do for me..."

"Yeah?" Tony gave Gibbs a questioning look.

"I'd like to be with you when you talk to your father."

Tony stared down at the bed as he pondered Gibbs' request. "Why? You think I'm, going to lose it? You think I can't handle it?" he accused, shooting Gibbs a hurt look.

"That's not it...I just think you could use the support...if you don't want me there...that's fine."

"It's not that I don't want you there..."

"But?"

"But...I don't know..." Tony shrugged. "I..I don't want him to think I'm weak..."

"You're not weak, Dinozzo. Lots of people would have given up if they had to go through everything you've been through. You haven't though. You've kept on fighting...no matter what. Besides...it doesn't really matter what he thinks, does it?"

Tony hesitated. Truth was, he really did want Gibbs to be there with him. "You won't say anything?" he asked. "Not unless I want you to?"

Gibbs shook his head. "I won't. I'll just be there if you need me."

Tony thought about it for a few more minutes then slowly nodded his head. "Okay, boss...you can come with me if you really want to."

"I really want to," Gibbs said softly, breathing a soft sigh of relief that Tony wasn't going to face the monster alone.


	39. Chapter 39

**AN: Thanks so much for all your very nice words and well wishes. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy :)**

xxxxx

"Tony, eat," Gibbs prodded. He had been watching his senior field agent play with his food for the last five minutes and it was growing tiresome.

"Not very hungry, boss." Tony pushed the plate away and covered it again with the plastic dome. Gibbs considered making an issue out of it, but only for a moment. It was very obvious that Tony was all worked up about going to see his father. He supposed eating wasn't really a priority right now.

"Are you sure you don't want to wait on seeing your father until you're feeling better, Tony?" Gibbs asked. "He'll be in custody...he's not going anywhere."

Tony shook his head. "I just want to get this over with."

"I still think maybe you should wait..." Tony wasn't looking particularly well. Gibbs didn't want him to end up physically ill over the situation.

"I said I'm doing it," Tony snapped. "If you don't want to come that's perfectly fine, but I'm doing it today."

"I haven't changed my mind," Gibbs stated quietly. "I'm still going with you."

"I'm sorry, boss," Tony said contritely after a short silence. He knew he needed to calm himself down. It was just easier said than done.

"Its alright," Gibbs wished he could somehow magically erase all the pain Tony was going through. "So...when do you want to do this?" The waiting was making him antsy.

"I guess soon..."

Gibbs forced himself not to ask Tony yet again if he was sure he wanted to do this. He just needed to let Tony do what he had to do and support him in whatever way he could.

They sat silently. Gibbs just stared out the window while Tony tried to read a magazine. The words weren't making any sense to him though and he kept on reading the same sentence over and over again. "Let's just go now." Tony tossed the magazine aside. Waiting like this was only making it worse.

"Okay," Gibbs was both relieved and apprehensive at the same time. "I'll go get a wheelchair."

"A wheelchair? I don't need a wheelchair, boss," Tony stated adamantly.

Gibbs sighed to himself. Why did everything have to be an argument? "Its a pretty far walk. I really think we should take it."

"I'm not being wheeled into his room like a fucking invalid." Gibbs just didn't understand. He'd be at a definite disadvantage, right from the start, if he did that.

"Fine!" Gibbs growled before he could stop himself, then forced himself to speak more calmly. "How about we use the wheelchair and we'll leave it outside your father's room then?"

"Alright," Tony said softly, giving in. He knew he was acting like an ass, but he couldn't seem to stop himself.

Gibbs left the room and went in search of a wheelchair. He was getting as jittery as Tony was. He needed to do a better job of keeping himself together or he was going to be of no help whatsoever to the younger man. He found a wheelchair relatively quickly, but took his time getting back to Tony's room. He figured a few minutes alone would do each of them some good. After a few more minutes had passed, Gibbs made his way back into the room with the wheelchair. Tony was looking considerably more subdued than earlier.

"I'm really sorry, boss. Guess this whole thing has me more shook up than I'd like to admit. I shouldn't be taking it out on you though. You...you've stood by me and done more for me than anyone else ever has. I want you to know that I appreciate it, even if I don't always act like it."

"I know you do. And I know how hard this is on you." Gibbs patted Tony's shoulder reassuringly, then gave a small smile. "But trust me, DiNozzo, I'm a tough guy. I can take whatever you want to dish out."

"I know you can take it...doesn't mean you deserve it though..."

"Don't worry about it."

Tony took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I guess we should get going." He painstakingly got himself up out of bed then sat in the wheelchair without complaint. He stopped Gibbs, however, when he went to start pushing him. "Thanks, boss, but I can do it."

Gibbs nodded and allowed Tony to maneuver the wheelchair by himself, falling into step beside him as they slowly moved through the hospital corridors. Tony quickly realized that Gibbs had been right about the wheelchair. He was still getting winded fairly easily and he would have had a difficult time walking to his father's room. "Guess the wheelchair was a good idea, boss," he admitted.

Gibbs smiled faintly, but didn't say anything. He didn't think Tony really needed to hear an 'I told you so' at the moment.

Finally, they reached their destination. Tony's heart began to pound frantically as he caught sight of Jerry Ford, the agent currently standing guard outside his father's room.

"Hey DiNozzo, Gibbs," the agent greeted with a casual wave of his hand. "Good to see you up and around, Tony. How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing okay, Jerry," Tony replied. "How are things with you?"

"Can't complain, can't complain..." He hesitated, looking at Gibbs then back at Tony. "You going in to see your father?"

Tony nodded and Gibbs answered the question with a meaningful look in his eyes. "Yeah, we have a little bit of unfinished business, Ford. Might be a good time for you to take a break."

"Oh..." Jerry looked a little bit uncertain, but after a few moments he nodded his head. "Yeah, sure..I could use a break, I guess."

"Don't worry, Ford," Gibbs said reassuringly. "Its not going to be a problem."

"Okay." Jerry was still unsure about leaving his post though. After all, everyone knew what DiNozzo's father had done to him. A little revenge would be understandable. He trusted Gibbs though. If he said it wouldn't be a problem, he would take the man at his word. "I'll be back soon," he said, giving them a brief wave and an uneasy look. He hoped he didn't end up losing his job over this.

"You sure you're ready for this?" Gibbs couldn't help asking the question one more time.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Tony answered quietly. "He wasn't at all sure, but he had come this far. He didn't think putting it off was going to make things any easier. He slowly started to get to his feet and smiled shakily at Gibbs who resisted the urge to help Tony up. Tony put his hand on the doorknob to his father's door and glanced back at Gibbs. "Let's get this show on the road."

xxxxx

DiNozzo Senior's eyes lit up with malicious delight when he saw his son enter the room, but his delight changed to exasperation when Gibbs trailed in behind his boy.

"What's the matter, Gibbs?" he growled, not even trying to hide the disdain he felt for the man. "Afraid I'll bite him?"

"I wanted him to come," Tony said calmly. "After all, you did shoot me...not once, but twice. I'd say he has reason for concern, wouldn't you?"

"I didn't mean to do that. I panicked, wasn't even thinking when I pulled the trigger. It was just temporary insanity."

"Is that what your lawyer told you to say?" Tony asked with a smirk. "If so, you'll be spending a long time in the slammer."

Senior narrowed his eyes. The boy was too insolent for his liking. Time to knock him down a few pegs. "You always were a smart ass, Junior. I didn't appreciate it when you were a child and I definitely don't appreciate it now."

"I don't really care."

Senior felt a burst of anger at his son's words, and without thinking, lunged towards him, but was stopped by the cuff attaching his wrist to the bed rail.

Tony raised an eyebrow as he unconsciously took a step backward. "Wow...you really can't help yourself, can you? Did you always want to beat the hell out of me?"

"Considering I never wanted you to begin with, yeah pretty much," Senior sneered, getting a small amount of satisfaction when he saw a brief look of hurt flash in Tony's eyes. "You were a mistake...a huge one. I made sure it would never happen again though."

"What does that mean?" Tony asked, cursing himself as he asked the question, knowing it was just what his father wanted.

Senior smiled, more than happy to answer the question. "It means I forced your mother to get her tubes tied, right after you were born. I wanted to make damn sure she never had another child."

"I don't know why you bothered," Tony stated angrily, more than a little disconcerted by his father's unexpected reply. "Its not like you ever paid any attention to me. How much trouble was it to get your staff to take care of me?"

"I gave you plenty of attention," Senior retorted.

"When? When you paraded me around, like a trained seal, in front of your colleagues? Or when you were using me as a punching bag?"

"Its called discipline, Anthony. You were a handful. It had to be done."

"I was just a little kid who missed his mother." Tony angrily swept at the tiny bit of moisture he could feel in his eyes.

"Your mother?" Senior asked as he broke into laughter. "Oh that's rich. What kind of a fantasy world are you living in? She didn't bother with you any more than I did."

"She was there for me when I was sick, when I had nightmares," Tony defended. His mother had definitely had her faults, but his life had gotten immeasurably worse after her death. His childhood, in many ways, had ended the day she died. "At least she didn't beat me."

"Well maybe she should have. Maybe then you wouldn't have turned out to be such a sorry excuse for a man."

Gibbs had managed to remain silent until this point, his hands held in tightly clenched fists, but he had reached his limit. He gave Tony a questioning look, practically begging him with his eyes for permission to speak. Tony nodded, almost imperceptibly, but it was all Gibbs needed. "Who the hell do you think you are? You beat up on an innocent child and now you shot him for no reason at all. What the hell does that make you? As I see it, you're the only sorry excuse for a man in this room. I couldn't be more proud of Tony. He's more of a man than you'll ever be."

Tony gave Gibbs a grateful smile, the man's words giving him a small bit of comfort even in the midst of the situation he was faced with. The fact that Gibbs was proud of him meant the world to him.

"What's the matter, Anthony?" Senior taunted. "You need big, bad Gibbs to fight your battles for you? Couldn't even face your own father by yourself? Needed him to hold your hand?"

"You're not," Tony said softly.

"I'm not what?" Senior asked, baffled.

"My father. You're not my father."

"What the hell are you going on about now? Of course I'm your father."

"No," Tony shook his head. "Not anymore. You've lost the right to call me your son. I'm done with you."

Senior chuckled, but there was a look of barely disguised apprehension in his eyes. "You don't mean that."

"Yes I do. This is it. I'm not taking your shit anymore. You won't be seeing me again, except in a courtroom. Let's get out of here," he said, turning to Gibbs.

"You don't mean that!" Senior repeated, much louder this time. "You think Gibbs is going to stick by you? You're his employee, that's all. You piss him off and he'll abandon you. We're blood, Junior. You can't just walk away from me."

"Gibbs is more of a father to me than you ever were," Tony said, his eyes blazing furiously as he walked over to stand right next to Senior's bedside. "He is my father. Not you."

"You just wait, Anthony. He'll disappoint you one day and when he does it will feel a thousand times worse than anything I've ever done to you. He'll leave you and you'll have no one. He doesn't care about you, not really. You're not his son!"

"And you care about me? You tried to kill me. You wanted me dead. You don't know a damn thing about how Gibbs feels about me. You couldn't understand it if you tried." An anger like nothing he had ever felt before began to pulse through Tony's veins and he cocked his fist, wanting nothing more than to pound this man who had abused him so badly.

"That's right! Hit me, Junior! Hit me!" Senior goaded, his eyes bright with anticipation. "You know you want to. You'll see how good it feels. Do it! Make me proud."

Make him proud? What the hell... Tony's anger deflated as quickly as it had erupted. He let his fist drop harmlessly to his side as he stared at Senior in shock. "Make you proud?" he asked. "That's what you want?"

"Yes, yes!" Senior urged eagerly, his face flushed with excitement. "It's all I've ever wanted from you, to fight back, but you never even tried...not once, not one time did you fight back..."

"I..." Tony was unsuccessfully trying to wrap his head around what Senior was saying. He had never really realized just how twisted this man was. "You...you wanted me to try to fight you? I was just a little boy...how could I have?" Was he serious? He'd been about the size of his father's leg. The man would have crushed him.

"You should have tried. It was all I ever wanted from you. If you had struck back just once. It would have shown that you were just like me...but you never did. You were just so weak...so impossibly weak... Crying...walking around with stuffed animals...How could I have ever been proud of someone like that?"

The words hurt. Even though he knew this man was a nutcase, even though he'd beaten him, sometimes mercilessly, even though he'd tried to kill him, they still hurt. "I...I need to get out of here." Tony suddenly felt sick to his stomach and was pale and shaky as he turned towards Gibbs beseechingly. "We need to leave now."

Having heard more than enough himself, Gibbs was more than happy to comply. He put his arm around the emotionally drained younger man to support him and they headed for the door. Senior began to scream uncontrollably. "Don't you dare walk away from me, you little bastard. I am your father, Anthony! Don't you dare disrespect me like this. Get back here and show me what you've got. For once in your sorry life get back here and make me proud!"

He continued on, ranting and screaming like a madman, even after the door had closed and they were gone from his sight.


	40. Chapter 40

**AN: Thanks, as always for your comments and reviews. You're an incredibly supportive group of readers and I can't thank you enough. For this chapter, things have finally taken their toll on Tony mentally, which I don't think will come as a surprise to anyone. Not a very happy chapter. I don't have any real knowledge of mental health treatment and apologize in advance for any errors that I may have made. That being said, I'm doing the best I can to make this believable and hope you are able to overlook any inaccuracies. **

xxxxx

Tony collapsed into the wheelchair. He was trembling and seemed to be unaware of his surroundings,

"Is he alright?" Jerry asked. He had just returned to his post and was watching Tony with evident concern.

"He will be," Gibbs said. "I just need to get him away from here." He could still hear Senior bellowing at the top of his lungs from his room. "I'll see you later, Jerry." Gibbs then rapidly pushed Tony away from Senior's room, breathing a sigh of relief when the man's voice was no longer audible. He was appalled by what had just happened. He was proud of the way Tony had stood up to his father, but at what cost?

Finally, they made it back to Tony's room. Gibbs squatted down in front of Tony's wheelchair and faced the younger man, trying to make eye contact. "Tony? Tony, can you hear me?" Tony looked zoned out and did not respond to Gibbs at all. "Come on, DiNozzo, snap out of it." Gibbs deliberately sharpened his voice and gave Tony a light smack to the back of his head, hoping to jar his agent into some form of awareness. Gibbs found himself getting more and more upset with Tony's detached state. He patted the side of Tony's face, snapped his fingers, even tried pinching the skin of Tony's arm. It was all to no avail though as Tony did not respond at all.

"Shit..." Realizing he was getting nowhere on his own, Gibbs pressed the nurse's call button, hoping and praying someone would be able to pull Tony out of this state..

xxxxx

"I don't understand," Gibbs kept saying, watching as Adam examined Tony, who was now back in bed. "I mean it was upsetting and his father said some really harsh things, but after everything he's gone through, why would this happen now?"

"That's just it, Jethro. After everything he's gone through... The human mind is a funny thing. People can be amazingly strong at times, getting through horrific events that you would think were impossible to get past, but anyone can get overloaded and just shut down. I think that's what has happened to Tony. He's retreated into himself as a way of coping with all that has happened to him."

"So what do we do?" Gibbs asked with a tremor in his voice and looking very much on the verge of tears. "How do we help him?" He knew that Tony seeing his father, while still in a physically and emotionally fragile state, had been a bad idea, but he couldn't have just forbidden him to do it. He couldn't just order him around like a child. Tony was an adult and had the right to make his own decisions.

Adam finished his exam and turned to the understandably distraught man. "Well there's no question that he needs professional help now." He was already regretting that he hadn't pushed the issue sooner. If he had, maybe this could have been avoided. Gibbs had mentioned that maybe Tony should see someone back when he had been unable to remember what had happened to him. At the time, Adam had thought it was an overreaction, but in hindsight, it would have been a very good idea.

Gibbs nodded. He wasn't about to stand in the way of anything that could possibly help Tony. "Do you have anyone particular in mind?" he asked. He trusted Adam implicitly and at this point would go with whoever he recommended.

"Yes. There are two different ways we can go with this. We can try treatment with or without drug therapy. What do you think?"

Gibbs shrugged, looking a little bit lost. "I don't know, Adam. What do you think? Which is better?"

"If Tony had the ability to choose, which route do you think he would take?"

"Well, he'd definitely go the drug free route if he could. If that could work..."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Adam said with a nod. "I have a friend who's very good, Jim McCauley. He's a psychologist. He specializes in trauma, abuse, PTSD type cases. I think he'd be able to help Tony."

"Okay, okay, that's fine, Adam," Gibbs said, nodding. "I just want Tony to get well. Whatever it takes." He took a long look at his agent who appeared to be lost in his own little world. "Could he just snap out of this, whatever it is, at any time?"

"Yes. Yes, he could, Jethro, but even if he does, Tony needs help. He needs someone to talk to, a professional who is trained to help him sort through everything that's happened."

"I know he does," Gibbs said quietly.

"He also needs you," Adam continued. "I think it would be helpful for you to work with Jim, give him your input. It would be invaluable. You know Tony better than anyone. I also think its important for Tony to know you support this."

"I do support it. I'll do whatever it takes...anything..." Gibbs' eyes were watery as he lightly ruffled Tony's hair, wanting to see a smile or some tiny acknowledgment that signified Tony knew he was there, but there was nothing.

"Hey." Adam put his hand on Gibbs' shoulder and gave him a meaningful look. "I know things don't look too good right now, but Tony can get through this. You just need to have faith. I'll go give Jim a call now. I'll explain Tony's situation and hopefully get him in to see Tony today, if possible."

"I'll be here," Gibbs said in a choked voice as he resumed his seat by Tony's side and took the agent's hand in his own. "I'll be right here..."

xxxxx

Abby hung up the phone, looking as if she was about to burst into tears.

"Abby? What's wrong?" McGee asked, looking at her with concern. "Did something happen?" He and Ziva had come down to the lab to get some information from Abby about a case.

"That was Gibbs," Abby said, sniffling. "He...He doesn't want us to come to see Tony today."

"Why not?" Ziva demanded sharply. "Has Tony taken a turn for the worse?"

Abby nodded, then quickly shook her head when she saw the looks of fear that crossed Ziva and McGee's faces. "No. Tony is still doing okay, physically...just not so good mentally..."

"Did something change?" McGee asked worriedly. "He seemed to be doing really well."

"Tony went to see Senior this morning," Abby stated quietly. "I guess he said some horrible things. Tony just shut down. He's not responding to anything or anyone..."

"Tony has been through so much, ever since he and Gibbs were abducted," Ziva said. "How could a father treat his son so badly?"

"I have no idea..." McGee said.

"As far as I'm concerned he's not Tony's father. Gibbs is." Abby's eyes were flashing angrily. "He doesn't deserve to have Tony for a son."

"Gibbs must be taking this very hard," Ziva commented.

"Bossman sounded so sad," Abby said, nodding. "Tony means the world to him. This is killing him."

"Maybe we should still go?" Ziva asked uncertainly. "It is possible one of us could get Tony to respond, is it not?"

Abby shook her head. "Gibbs said that Dr. Kennedy is calling in a specialist to look at Tony. I don't think that's such a good idea, not today anyway." She wanted to see Tony in the worst way, but did not want to do anything that could impede his progress.

"Hopefully he or she will be able to help," McGee said.

"Tony will be alright, Timmy," Abby stated with a note of certainty in her voice. "We all know how strong he is. He'll get through this. He just has to..."

xxxxx

Gibbs had been sitting with Tony ever since Adam had left, going on almost two hours now. There had been no sign of recognition from his agent, basically no movement whatsoever. Gibbs found Tony's stare to be almost eerie. He was not used to seeing Tony so quiet and lifeless. It was almost as if someone had come and somehow taken possession of the younger man's irrepressible spirit, leaving only an empty shell behind.

"I'm right here with you, DiNozzo." Gibbs gave Tony's hand an encouraging squeeze. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to help you get through this. We'll fight this together, Tony. I know we can."

"Jethro?"

"Hey, Duck."

Ducky handed Gibbs a steaming hot cup of coffee he had brought and turned his attention to Tony. "Hello Anthony. You're looking very well, my dear boy." If Ducky was at all distressed by Tony's lack of a response, he didn't show it.

"I guess Abby told you what happened?" Gibbs asked, taking a sip of the coffee.

Ducky nodded. "Yes, she told me. Its truly despicable the way that man has treated the boy, Jethro. Its beyond my comprehension."

"Yeah, its beyond my comprehension too," Gibbs agreed. "He's a real bastard alright."

"I take it there has been no change in Tony's condition?"

"No." Gibbs shook his head. "None at all. He just lies there, staring off into space. Its like his body is there, but his mind isn't."

"Oh Jethro, Anthony has been through a great deal. Unfortunately, I just think this was the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. I have no doubt that Anthony will persevere though, Jethro. He's a very strong and determined young man. There is no reason to believe he won't get through this."

"I know, Ducky, but it just seems every time I think he's getting better, something else comes along to knock him back down."

"He has a lot of people pulling for him."

"Yeah I know, but is that going to be enough?"

"We have to believe it will be."

"He did so well...he stood up to his freak of a father and I couldn't have been more proud of him. I can't imagine what kind of a hellish childhood he had...that son of a bitch beat the hell out of him, Duck...I have no idea how he was able to get through it."

"He did though. Anthony was able to overcome his horrendous childhood and he will overcome this as well. It is just going to take some time."

"Everyone is saying that, but no one knows for sure. There are no guarantees. Maybe he just couldn't take it anymore. Maybe...maybe he's just going to be like this forever..." All of this had been triggered by him inviting Tony to his house for dinner. Though intellectually he knew it wasn't his fault, he couldn't escape the fact that if he had just let Tony go home to his own apartment that fateful night, none of this would have happened. Sure, maybe he, himself, would be dead or still locked away in that room by Bellingham, but Tony would have been safe and unharmed. "I never should have taken Tony home with me that night," he whispered.

"Do you think Tony would agree with that, Jethro?" Ducky questioned gently. "You know the way he looks up to you. He loves spending time with you. Given his choice, I firmly believe he would have rather been with you than not, in spite of what has happened."

"Ya think?" Gibbs asked with a touch of sarcasm in his voice. "How'd that work out for him?" He looked at Tony whose eyes were now closed and he appeared to be sleeping soundly. Gibbs fussed with the covers, pulling them up higher and smoothing them out.

"Its still true. That boy would be crushed if anything happened to you."

"And this is better?" Gibbs asked. "If something happened to me, he'd get over it. This...this..." He couldn't even continue the thought. "Duck, can you sit with him, just for a few minutes?" he asked in a choked voice. "I...I need to get some air. I...I'm just going to take a short walk outside."

"By all means, Jethro. Take your time."

"I won't be long." Gibbs gave Tony one more tortured look before quickly leaving the room, unable to hold back the tears that had already started to trickle down his cheeks.


	41. Chapter 41

**AN: Thanks so much for all your nice reviews and comments. I think this chapter may have been the most difficult one to write. As I said before, I don't have any real knowledge of psychotherapy so please try to overlook any errors I may have committed in this regard. That being said, I'm happy with how this chapter turned out and hope you are too :)**

xxxxx

Gibbs left the hospital and began to wander about aimlessly, trying to ignore the curious glances and outright rude stares by anonymous strangers who he encountered along his way. 'Haven't these people ever seen a few tears before?' Gibbs wondered angrily. He finally managed to get his emotions back under control and headed back to the hospital, not wanting to be away from Tony for too long. He paused for a moment outside Tony's room, listening to Ducky who was speaking.

"You are very important to all of us, Anthony. We all love and care for you a great deal. We understand why you might feel the need to shut down right now and take a rest, so to speak. No one is disputing that you have been through a tremendous ordeal. But then you need to find your way back. We need you, very much. Never forget that. You must fight this, my boy, as hard as you can. Fight your way back to us..."

Gibbs cleared his throat and stepped back inside Tony's room. "Thanks for staying with him, Duck," he said softly.

"It was no problem at all, Jethro," Ducky replied. "It is always my pleasure to spend time with Anthony."

"I don't suppose anything has changed?" Gibbs asked, knowing in his heart that it hadn't. Tony was sleeping in the exact same position he had been in before Gibbs had left.

"Patience, Jethro. This is not the kind of thing that can be rushed."

"I couldn't have said it better myself." A fit-appearing man, looking to be in his early to mid-60s entered the room. He was tan and dressed casually in jeans and a button down white shirt. "Hello, I'm Jim McCauley. I believe you were expecting me?" His gaze shifted from Ducky to Gibbs with open curiosity in his eyes.

"Jethro Gibbs." Gibbs approached the other man and extended his hand which Jim shook warmly, "This is Dr. Donald Mallard."

"Nice to meet you, Jethro, Dr. Mallard. Are you one of Tony's treating physicians?" Jim asked as he shook Ducky's hand.

"No, no. I'm afraid that most of my patients are not among the living. I'm a medical examiner," Ducky explained to Jim with a slight chuckle. "I'm strictly here as a friend. However, I do need to get back to work. You'll keep me informed?" he asked, shifting his gaze to meet Gibbs' eyes.

"I will,"Gibbs said with a nod. "Thanks for everything, Duck."

Goodbyes were said and then Gibbs and Jim were left alone with Tony still sleeping soundly. "So Jethro, Adam thought you might have some questions for me," Jim said, focusing on Gibbs with an unwavering gaze.

Gibbs looked back at the doctor, feeling more than a little bit uncomfortable. "I...not really. I'm just interested in helping Tony get well...I...well to be perfectly honest, Dr. McCauley...I'm not all that comfortable with psychologists...I guess...psychology...its not really my thing..." He shuffled his feet, feeling awkward as he glanced down at the floor. Not many people made him nervous in this world, but psychiatrists and psychologists did. He always felt like they were trying to look inside him and could somehow see his innermost thoughts.

"Relax, Jethro," Jim said with a look of amusement in his eyes. "And you can feel free to call me Jim, unless you are more comfortable with Dr. McCauley. The choice is entirely yours. Adam explained that you might have some reservations about my working with Tony."

"No...If you can help him get better...that's all that matters."

"But you're an important part of Tony's healing process. Do you think you'll be able to speak openly and honestly with me?"

Gibbs nodded. "Yes. I can definitely do that."

"Okay, then. Why don't you sit down and talk to me a little bit about Tony's situation and I can answer any questions or concerns that you might have."

There were two chairs in the room, but Gibbs chose to sit on the bed beside Tony, almost as if he was providing some protection to the younger man, serving as a barrier between Tony and the psychologist, Jim noted with interest.

"Now, I've seen Tony's medical records detailing all that has happened to him as of late. He's had a very hard time of it, it seems. Are you aware if he's ever had any similar episodes like this in the past? Before his current situation, that is?"

Gibbs shook his head. "No...not that I'm aware of anyhow. "He's always been very emotionally strong. At least, that's how he seemed to me anyway."

"And this was triggered by an altercation with his father?"

"Yeah...he said some very harsh things to him...unforgivable things..."

"And how would you characterize their relationship before this conflict?"

It wasn't good...they weren't particularly close..."

"Is that all?" Jim asked as he watched Gibbs intently, sensing the man was holding back.

Gibbs remained silent. Even though he was listed as Tony's next of kin and he knew Tony entrusted him to make decisions that were in his best interest, he still felt as if he was betraying Tony's confidence somehow.

"Is there anything that you think I should know about their relationship?" Jim persisted.

"He...his father beat him when he was a child..." Gibbs whispered reluctantly as he quickly glanced down at Tony, making sure that he was still asleep.

"And his father had also abducted him from the hospital and shot him?" Jim asked, just ensuring that he had his facts straight as he made some notations in a small leather-bound notebook.

"Yes..." Gibbs nodded.

"His mother is deceased and he has no siblings?"

Gibbs nodded again.

"Tony has never been married and has no current significant other?" Jim asked.

"That's right."

"And how would you define your relationship with Tony? He works for you, doesn't he?"

"Yes...he works for me..."

"But?"

Gibbs sighed. This was harder than he had expected. He wished that Tony was able to answer these questions for himself. "But..I...he's like a son to me. I care about him very much."

"And he reciprocates these feelings?"

"Yes...yes, I believe he does."

"Sounds like you're very good for each other." Jim smiled, trying to offset some of the tension in the room. Gibbs was obviously uptight, his posture tense and defensive. Jim really wished he could relax a bit. "What about Dr. Mallard?. I take it that he's close to Tony as well?"

"Yes. Ducky and Tony are close."

"Does he have any other close personal relationships?"

"He's very close to the other members of my team, Abby, Tim and Ziva."

Jim nodded, scribbling furiously. "So in many ways, your team provides a family unit for Tony."

"Yes, you could definitely say that," Gibbs nodded. He watched as Jim continued to make notations. "Don't you people just usually record this stuff?" he finally asked.

"Us people. You mean shrinks?" Jim was clearly amused.

"No, yeah, I guess so," Gibbs replied, looking embarrassed.

Jim chuckled. "Yes, many psychologists do record their sessions. I guess I'm just old fashioned in that regard. I prefer the old fashioned pen and paper approach."

Gibbs nodded. That he could definitely relate to.

"I think that's enough background information for right now," Jim said as he closed the notebook he had been writing in. "Surely you have some questions for me?" He really wanted to get the other man at least a little bit more comfortable.

"Adam said you don't use drugs?" Gibbs finally said after a long silence.

"Well, its definitely not my method of choice," Jim replied. "Medications do have their place, but I think its more important to get to the root of these types of problems. I find that medications tend to numb the pain and symptoms. In Tony's case, I think it would be more beneficial to talk these issues out, help him to come to terms with what has happened and his past rather than just mask his symptoms."

"So...how do you start?"

"Why don't you try waking him up?" Jim suggested.

Gibbs looked doubtfully at the doctor before directing his attention to Tony. "Hey, Tony?" He placed his hand on the younger man's shoulder and shook it gently. "Come on Tony, time to wake up."

Tony's eyes slowly opened and for a second, Gibbs could have sworn he saw a glimmer of recognition, but then his expression became vacant once again. At that point, Gibbs believed he had just imagined that Tony had recognized him or it was just wishful thinking on his part.

"Talk to him," Jim said encouragingly.

"What should I say?" Gibbs asked, looking at Jim for guidance. It was easy for him to talk to Tony when the two of them were alone, but he wasn't really sure what the doctor was asking of him.

"Just reassure him, let him know you're here. Introduce me to him if you'd like."

"Hi Tony. Its me, Gibbs. I know you don't really feel like talking right now, but I just want you to know that's okay. I'm right here with you and you're safe. Everything's going to be alright. I've got your six. Nobody is going to hurt you anymore."

"You're doing great, Jethro."

"Tony, there's a new doctor who's here with me today. He's going to help you get better and you'll be out of the hospital before you know it. His name is Jim."

"Hello, Tony. Its very good to meet you. What Jethro says is true. We're going to be working very hard to get you feeling better." His eyes were drawn to Bert, the stuffed hippo which was lying on the nightstand by Tony's bed. "What's that?" he asked Gibbs, pointing to the stuffed toy.

"Its Bert, Abby's stuffed hippo. She brought him for Tony."

"Give it to him," Jim instructed.

"He won't even know its there," Gibbs said, but he did what Jim wanted. He picked up the hippo and held it out towards Tony. Tony didn't respond at all, just remained staring off into space, not acknowledging the hippo in any way. "See?" Discouraged, Gibbs tossed the hippo aside.

"Give it to him, Jethro," Jim said again. "I want you to actually place it in his hands.

Gibbs sighed as he picked up the hippo again and this time he did as Jim wanted, placing the hippo directly into Tony's hands. At first nothing happened. Tony remained oblivious to the toy, but then, after a few moments, he raised it up and clutched it tightly against his chest. Gibbs looked at Jim who was grinning back at him. "That's a good sign?" he asked in confusion. "But he didn't even look at it...he doesn't even really know its there, does he?" Tony still had that same empty look in his eyes.

"Oh he knows its there, Jethro," Jim said, still smiling. "On some level, he definitely knows its there."

xxxxx

What had appeared to be a breakthrough turned into just another disappointment in terms of Tony's recovery. The days went by and as time passed, Tony's prospects for a complete recovery were growing dimmer. The team had begun to stagger their visits, coming in separately in the hopes that the more constant conversation and mental stimulation would trigger a response in Tony. It just wasn't happening though.

Then one morning, Adam entered Tony's room with a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. He supposed this was why doctors weren't supposed to become emotionally involved with their patients.

"Good morning, Jethro," Adam said as he went over to Tony's bedside and took a look at the chart. There were no changes. Tony's vital signs had stabilized nicely and physically he was improving by leaps and bounds.

"Good morning, Adam..." Gibbs was watching Adam closely. There were tension lines around his mouth and he was studiously focused on Tony's chart, seemingly unwilling to look Gibbs in the eye. "What's on your mind?" he asked after a few moments of tense silence.

Adam raised his eyes from the chart and looked back at Gibbs with such an expression of guilt that it immediately sent Gibbs' heart racing. "What is it?" he whispered.

"Tony's coming along really well," Adam stated, gazing back at Gibbs meaningfully.

"And that's a bad thing?" Gibbs asked with a relieved smile. "God, Adam, you scared me. I was beginning to think something was really wrong." He glanced at Tony who was sitting up, clutching Bert and then back at Adam and then the realization dawned in his eyes. "Oh..."

Adam nodded miserably. "I'm pushing this as hard as I can, Jethro, but at most I can only keep Tony here for another two days, possibly three...we don't want to get into an issue with the insurance company...I'm really sorry..."

Gibbs felt as if he had been punched in the stomach. He had always known on some level that this was going to happen, but he had pushed it into the back of his mind. Tony getting released from the hospital was supposed to be a happy event. Now it was anything but. "So...what are Tony's options?" Gibbs asked, looking back at Adam apprehensively.

"I think we need to make arrangements to have Tony transferred to a long term care facility..."

"A mental institution?" Gibbs asked as he shook his head adamantly. "No...no way, Adam. I won't do that to him."

"Calm down, Jethro. I didn't say that. I'm talking about a skilled nursing facility, not a mental institution."

"A nursing home," Gibbs stated grimly.

Adam sighed softly as he gave Gibbs a few moments to digest the information. "There are some very good ones out there. I'll help you find the best one possible to meet Tony's needs..."

Gibbs turned to look at Tony again. He was so totally unaware of anything that was going on...locked away in his own little world. The thought of this once vibrant, active, intelligent young man wasting away in a nursing home tore him up inside and his eyes filled with tears. "I...can we talk about this later, Adam?" he asked gruffly, only barely managing to keep himself together.

"Yeah sure, Jethro," Adam replied, feeling like the biggest heel in the world as he left the room. Some days he hated his job and this was one of those days.

Only seconds after Adam had closed the door behind him, the flood of tears Gibbs had been holding back for so long finally overflowed in a rush of emotion. He grabbed a pillow from Tony's bed and buried his head in it, wanting to muffle the sobs that were tearing through him. He sobbed as if his heart would break, sobbed in a way he had not allowed himself since the day he found out that his wife and little girl had been brutally taken from him. Finally, utterly exhausted and emotionally spent, he fell into an exhausted sleep. Tony continued to sit beside the sleeping man, having absolutely no idea of what was transpiring around him or the potential consequences to his own life.

xxxxx

"Once you're released from the hospital, you'll be coming home with me. I'll cook you whatever you like, cowboy style steak, pizza, blueberry pancakes... You can introduce me to some of the movies that you love so much."

He spoke this way to Tony several times a day. He supposed it was his way of denying the inevitable, Adam had found what was supposed to be a very nice nursing home which was only a 20 minute ride from Gibbs' house. Tony was being transferred there the following morning. Gibbs had gone to see it and it didn't seem so bad, not as those types of places went, in any case. He just still had such a hard time imagining Tony living in that kind of a setting. He had even gotten a second opinion from another doctor who had recommended drug treatment along with electroshock therapy. The unlikelihood of success and potential side effects hadn't convinced Gibbs that it was the best option though, at least not yet. He would revisit the idea after a bit more time had passed, perhaps. Both Adam and Jim had convinced him to give Tony at least a month or so before resorting to more drastic measures and Gibbs had agreed without hesitation. He was very reluctant to cause Tony any more potential suffering. He had gone through enough.

"I'll let you help me with my boat...you'd like that, wouldn't you, Tony?" Gibbs asked wistfully.

He glanced over at Tony, halfheartedly hoping for a response, but knowing he wasn't going to get one. This time it was different though. Tony seemed as if he was looking right back at him. "Tony?" Gibbs asked, his voice breaking. He was unable to believe it might be true, certain that he was imagining things as he had done so many times over the past week. "Tony? Can...can you hear me?"

Tony stared back at Gibbs for what seemed to be an endless moment before he slowly nodded and then uttered the words that meant more to Gibbs than just about anything, other than when Shannon had accepted his proposal and the doctor had announced he had a baby girl.

"Yeah...yeah, boss...I can hear you..."


	42. Chapter 42

**AN: Thanks so much for all your nice reviews for the last chapter. I very much appreciate your support :)**

**xxxxx**

"You can hear me?" Gibbs could hardly believe it was true and he stared at Tony in shocked disbelief. "You can really hear me?"

"Yes...I said I could hear you..." Tony looked back at Gibbs in confusion, wondering what the big deal was. "Why is that so hard to believe? What's going on?"

"Nothing's going on...nothing bad anyway. It's all good." Gibbs gave Tony a reassuring smile and pressed the call button to page a nurse. He would have them page Adam. He wasn't exactly sure what he should or should not be saying to Tony right now. He didn't want to say something that might cause him to regress again.

"Well, something's going on here...why did you buzz for the nurse?" Tony looked at Gibbs suspiciously.

"You...You've kind of been asleep for a while," Gibbs finally said. "I'm just happy to see you awake again."

"Asleep? Do you mean unconscious? In a coma? What exactly are you saying?" Tony could see Gibbs was being evasive, which was only increasing his anxiety over the situation.

Gibbs shook his head. "No, no. Nothing like that. You're fine, Tony. Please believe me."

"Jethro? I was at the nurse's station when you buzzed, I..." Adam began as he walked into the room. He gave Tony a surprised look which he quickly managed to cover up. "Tony. How are you feeling?"

"I don't know. Maybe you should tell me since I've been asleep for so long..." Tony looked at Adam and then back at Gibbs. "What's going on with me, doc?"

Adam glanced at Gibbs who merely shrugged, more than happy to let Adam answer Tony's question. "Well, Tony...a little over a week ago, you had an episode where you became unresponsive to your surroundings."

"Unresponsive? How?"

"It was like you were in your own world, Tony. You weren't responding to anyone or anything. It was as if you didn't even know we were there," Gibbs explained, breaking into the conversation.

Tony couldn't hide his distress upon hearing this information. "So what are you saying? That I'm crazy?"

"No, no...of course not," Adam was quick to try to reassure his patient. "It was basically a stress reaction to everything you've gone through. Its perfectly understandable after all that has happened."

"So...I had a nervous breakdown?" Tony asked, obviously upset. "And I've been like this for over a week?"

Adam shook his head. "You didn't have a nervous breakdown, Tony. Besides, I don't really like to use that term. Basically, you were overloaded and this was just your mind's way of saying enough was enough. It needed a temporary rest."

It sure sounded like a nervous breakdown to him. Tony looked down and realized that he was tightly clinging to Bert. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment, he tossed the stuffed toy aside. God, maybe he really was cracking up. "So now what?" he asked Adam, deliberately keeping his gaze away from Gibbs. He couldn't begin to imagine what the older man thought of him now.

"We brought in another doctor to consult on your case, Dr, Jim McCauley. I'm going to give him a call and let him know how you're doing. Do you have any other questions for me before I go?"

Tony shook his head silently and Adam placed his hand on Tony's shoulder and gave it an encouraging squeeze. "Trust me, Tony. Everything is going to be fine. I'll see you two in a little while." Adam then gave them a smile and left the room leaving Gibbs and Tony alone.

"Can I get you anything?" Gibbs asked after a few minutes, wanting to break the long silence that had sprouted up between the two men after Adam had gone.

"No thanks, I'm good, boss," Tony said with a shake of his head.

"Everyone's going to be really happy to hear you're doing better." Gibbs was trying hard to ease the tension in the room, but Tony wasn't helping the situation any.

"So...they were all here to see me when this was going on?" Tony asked. He found it very disconcerting to think of the team coming in and staring at him while he had been off in his own little world, hanging onto a stuffed animal like some kind of a nutcase. "That's just great..."

"Tony, I don't understand what's bothering you so much," Gibbs said, trying to get into his agent's obviously troubled mind. "Everyone's just been worried about you because they care so much...that's a good thing."

"Is it?" Tony asked in a voice that was only a tiny bit louder than a whisper.

"Of course it is." Frustrated by the fact that Tony was steadfastly avoiding his gaze, Gibbs put his hand on Tony's cheek and turned his head so that he was facing Gibbs. "Come on, Tony...look at me."

"Fine," Tony said as he reluctantly met Gibbs' eyes.

"What has you so upset?" Gibbs asked, his voice quiet and full of concern.

"Nothing." Tony fidgeted with the covers on his bed and brushed his hand nervously back through his hair, averting his gaze once again.

Gibbs sighed heavily. He was getting nowhere fast. He decided to try a different tact other than trying to push Tony into talking about his feelings. Clearly, that wasn't working. "So, I have some news that should make you happy. You're getting out of this place tomorrow."

"I am? Really?" Tony's expression brightened considerably and he looked back at Gibbs with a small smile on his face. "I can go home?"

"Well, you'll be coming to stay with me for a few days first. Then you'll be able to go home."

Tony's face fell when he heard that he wouldn't be going back to his own apartment. "Why does everyone always assume I need a babysitter?" he muttered under his breath. "No one trusts me..."

"You know that's not true," Gibbs retorted. "I would trust you with my life."

"Doesn't feel like that," Tony grumbled. "So, did the doctor say I have to have adult supervision at home or is this just a Gibbs rule? I could understand if I was still out of it or whatever you want to call it, but I'm not now." He didn't ask where he was going before he had come out the state he had been in. They had probably planned to send him to some kind of mental institution, if he had been that bad. He shuddered inwardly at the thought of it and pushed it out of his mind. That wasn't important now. He was getting better.

Gibbs hesitated. He wasn't about to tell Tony that the plan had been for him to be transferred to a skilled nursing facility. He didn't think that bit of information would be very well received with Tony's current mental state. "Do you have any idea at all of just how worried I have been about you?" he asked. "I...I thought you might never come back to us. Do you know how that made me feel?" His voice shook slightly and his eyes were filled with emotion. "I don't know how many times I have to say it. You're like a son to me. I want you with me because I care about you, not because I don't trust you. Is it a crime for a father to love his son and want to take care of him?"

"No..." Tony said softly as he let Gibbs' words sink in. "I'm sorry, boss...it...it was just a lot to take in. I guess I didn't handle it very well..."

"That's understandable, Tony. You're entitled to feel a little mixed up and upset after everything that's happened, but can you just humor me and let me take care of you, just for a few days anyway? Its what families do for each other..."

"Yes, I can do that," Tony said with a bit of a shy smile. He wasn't used to hearing people telling him that they cared about him. Coming from Gibbs, who wasn't really known for talking about his feelings, it meant the world to him. "I...think you know how much you mean to me, boss...especially now that you understand about my father. You're more of a father to me than he ever was. I really am done with him...I meant what I said."

"So...then you do remember what happened with him?" Gibbs questioned tentatively. He'd been afraid to bring it up, worried that if Tony recalled the confrontation with Senior it might somehow cause him to have some kind of a relapse.

"I remember," Tony said, nodding. "That's the last thing I really do remember...Is that what caused what happened to me?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Gibbs began hesitantly. "I guess its what triggered it, but I think it was more the buildup of everything else that occurred. You went through so much. I hated seeing you hurt like that...I really wish I could have prevented it...you have no idea how much I wish that..."

Tony could plainly see the guilt in Gibbs' eyes. "I know you're blaming yourself, boss, but none of this was your fault. I'm glad that I was with you that night." He looked back at Gibbs meaningfully. "I'm not saying I particularly enjoyed what happened to me, but I wouldn't have wanted you to face all that alone. Plus, you took care of me like no one ever has before. I know you did everything in your power to try to protect me and keep me safe."

"I wasn't too successful though..."

"Not for lack of trying."

Gibbs didn't deny that. Circumstances had been very much out of his control. He hoped things were finally going to settle down now and get back to normal.

"So...this doctor that Dr. Kennedy mentioned...I take it he's a shrink?" Tony asked, giving Gibbs an inquisitive look.

Gibbs paused before nodding, hoping that information wasn't going to upset Tony. "Yes, he's a psychologist. He's a pretty laid back guy though, Tony. I think you'll like him."

"Okay." Tony said simply. He trusted Gibbs and strangely, he wasn't really opposed to the idea. Maybe it would be good to talk with someone who would be non-judgmental about everything that had happened. He knew it had really messed with his mind and that he might need help coping. He just wanted to feel like himself again. "What about work?" he questioned, gazing at Gibbs searchingly. "Do you have any idea how long I'm going to be out?"

Gibbs shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. I don't know. That hasn't even been discussed yet."

His self confidence wavering again, Tony stared at Gibbs, his eyes filled with uncertainty. "I guess maybe I asked the wrong question. I should have asked if I'm going back to work at all. Do you even want me on your team after all that has happened?"

Gibbs slapped Tony on the back of his head, not particularly forcefully, but hard enough to make a point. "What the hell is wrong with you, DiNozzo? What kind of a question is that? Of course I want you back on my team. Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know, boss. No reason, I guess." Tony smiled, relieved as he rubbed the back of his head. He couldn't wait to get back to work. He wanted to try to move forward and put this whole sorry mess behind him.

"That's right. No reason at all."

xxxxx

Tony was alone when Adam returned later that day, accompanied by Jim McCauley. "Hi Tony," Adam greeted, a little bit surprised to see Jethro missing from the room. "This is Dr. Jim McCauley, the doctor I mentioned to you earlier."

"It's very nice to officially meet you, Tony," Jim said as he shook Tony's hand firmly.

"Nice to meet you too, Dr. McCauley," Tony replied as he eyed the doctor warily. He had told himself earlier that he wasn't going to mind this, but now that the doctor was here, he wasn't quite so sure.

"Please, just call me Jim," Jim said easily, sensing the younger man's discomfort.

"Did Jethro go home?" Adam asked as he flipped through Tony's chart, satisfied that everything continued to look good.

"No." Tony shook his head. "He went to get me something decent to eat for dinner."

"Our fine cuisine isn't to your liking?" Adam asked with a chuckle. "Seems to be a pretty common complaint around here. I like to think it keeps people motivated to get better faster."

"So...Gibbs told me I'm getting sprung from here tomorrow?" Tony asked.

"Yes," Adam nodded, unsure as to what exactly Jethro had told Tony. "Are you happy about that?"

"Hell, yeah I'm happy," Tony stated. "I've had enough of this place to last a lifetime. No offense, doc."

"None taken, Tony," Adam said, smiling. "So what are your plans?"

"Well, Gibbs wants me to stay with him for a few days..."

"That sounds like a good idea. You need to take things slow and let him help you."

"How long before I can go back to work?" Tony asked the question that was utmost in his mind.

"Well..." Adam hesitated and glanced at Jim. "How about I get back to you on that tomorrow before you're released? For now, why don't I leave the two of you alone to get better acquainted. Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah...that's fine." Tony now realized that Jim was likely the biggest obstacle standing in his way of getting back to work in a timely fashion. He watched as Adam left the room and turned his attention to Jim. "So...I'm guessing you need to sign off before I'm allowed to return to duty?"

Jim nodded as he took a seat by Tony's bed. "Yes, you are going to need both a medical and psychiatric release to get back to work, Tony."

Tony sighed, noticeably distressed by this development. "How hard is that going to be to get?" he asked, not feeling very positive.

"Why don't we just get to know each other a bit before you're worrying yourself about that," Jim suggested. "You've been through a tremendous ordeal...why the big rush to jump back into what I understand to be a very stressful job?"

"I just want to get my life back, doc. Work is a big part of that..."

"There are other things though, aren't there?"

Tony shrugged. "Yes, of course there are, but...my job is very important to me."

"A vacation wouldn't be a bad idea. You could go someplace peaceful where you'd be able to get some rest and relaxation."

"I don't need a vacation. I want to go back to work," Tony insisted.

"And you feel you'll be able to just jump back in the saddle, so to speak?"

"Sure, why wouldn't I?"

"What about the case against your father? That will be going to trial. Surely that's going to prove a distraction."

"It won't be going to trial right away. It could take months. You don't expect me to stay out until after the trial, do you?" Tony asked, his temper flaring a bit.

"Calm down, Tony. I didn't say that. I'm just trying to get into your head a bit. I'd like to understand what you're thinking. I know what happened with your father has had a big effect on you."

Tony stared down at the bed silently. He was regretting that he had sent Gibbs off to get dinner. He wished the other man was here with him.

"Tony?" Jim persisted.

"I don't know what you want me to say," Tony said sharply, glaring back at Jim in frustration and the older man realized he may have been pushing too hard, too fast.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push you," Jim said quietly. "Why don't you tell me what you'd like to talk about."

Tony sighed heavily. "I don't know."

"Hey, I'm back," Gibbs announced as he came back into the room, carrying a pizza box and a bag containing soda and chips. "Sorry it took so long. I hit a lot of traffic."

"No problem boss," Tony said, giving Gibbs a look of extreme relief.

"Everything okay?" Gibbs asked Tony, while he narrowed his eyes at Jim. There was palpable tension in the room.

"I'm alright," Tony replied. 'Now that you're here,' he added silently.

"Jim?"

"I'm afraid I pushed him a little harder than I should have," Jim admitted. "I'm sorry, Tony."

"That's okay." Tony's reply was cold and automatic and he made no attempt to meet Jim's gaze.

"I'll leave you to enjoy your dinner." Jim realized that he wouldn't be getting any further with the younger man this evening. "I'll be back to see you in the morning before you're released...if that's alright with you, that is..."

"Sure...I'll see you tomorrow..."

"Goodnight then."

"Night..." Tony gave a relieved sigh after the door closed behind Jim.

"I take it that didn't go particularly well?" Gibbs asked as he put the pizza and bag down on the tray.

"I don't think he wants me to go back to work," Tony said, looking upset. "He thinks I'm nuts..."

"He said that?" Gibbs looked at Tony with concern

"He thinks I'm rushing, said its a high stress job, blah, blah, blah. Maybe I should see someone else. What am I supposed to do if he won't let me go back? I have to go back to work, boss...I just have to."

"Whoa, slow down. Give him a chance to get to know you. You're not ready to go back to work yet, in any case. You still have some recovering to do. Adam thinks highly of this guy. Why don't you just give him a chance?"

"I will, but I'm not going to let him stop me," Tony stated adamantly.

"Come on, Tony. I don't think he wants to stop you," Gibbs placed his hand on his agent's shoulder, wanting to reassure him. "Try not to worry about this right now. You've had a really big day. Why don't you eat something and relax for a bit, okay? I went all the way to Mario's for the pizza. Pepperoni, sausage and extra cheese."

"Yeah okay...thanks for getting this, boss..." Tony opened the box of pizza and took a slice, but he had to force himself to eat it. He just didn't have much of an appetite anymore. All he could think of was that he might not be able to return to the job he loved so much...


	43. Chapter 43

**AN: Thanks, as always, for your really nice reviews and comments - can't tell you how much they mean to me :) You're all terrific.**

xxxxx

Neither man slept very well that night. Tony tossed and turned and sighed periodically. He couldn't get comfortable and was unable to keep his thoughts from racing. Anxious and exhausted, he just couldn't seem to settle down.

Gibbs stared up at the ceiling listening to Tony changing positions on the creaky bed for the umpteenth time that night. It was 3:30 a.m. and he hadn't even been able to doze off for a few minutes yet. He was more than a little bit happy to be taking Tony out of the hospital in the morning and couldn't wait to spend the following night in his own bed. "DiNozzo!" he finally said sharply, getting no response from the younger man. "Tony...I know you're awake," he softened his tone. "What's going on with you?"

"Just can't sleep, boss...sorry."

"You want to talk about it?"

"No...just excited about getting out of here, finally."

Gibbs knew there was a lot more to it than that, but at 3:30 in the morning, he wasn't about to push it. "Why don't you buzz for a nurse? They can give you something to help you sleep."

"No...I can sleep on my own. I don't need any pills."

"You just said you couldn't sleep." Gibbs couldn't quite hide the hint of annoyance that crept into his voice.

"Sorry...I'll try harder..."

"Nothing to be sorry about. Let's both try a little harder. Goodnight, Tony."

G'night boss."

Tony still found that sleep was eluding him, but he did manage to stop himself from moving around quite so much and could tell from Gibbs' breathing that the older man had finally drifted off. By the time dawn arrived and sunlight was streaming into the room, he was battling a headache and filled with dread at the thought of having to talk with Jim again. He could only hope that something would detain the other man from coming, but he knew that was only wishful thinking on his part.

"Did you get any sleep at all, DiNozzo?" Gibbs had been studying Tony for the last few minutes, noting the dark circles under his eyes and almost pained expression on his face.

Tony shrugged as he glanced over at Gibbs. "No. Not really."

"What's troubling you?" Gibbs slowly sat up, and gingerly began to stretch out his stiffened muscles. He definitely would not miss sleeping on this cot.

Tony considered saying nothing, but he knew Gibbs would see through that. "Just wish I didn't have to talk to Jim..."

Gibbs sighed. Not being too fond of psychologists himself, he couldn't really blame Tony. "I know you don't want to talk to him. But, unfortunately, you're going to have to if you want to get back to work. I know you got off on the wrong foot, but he seems to be an alright guy. If its not him, it'll be someone else."

"That actually might not be a bad idea...Maybe I'd be be better off with a woman."

Gibbs couldn't help but smirk. "Why's that? You think you can just charm one into letting you go back on duty?"

"You gotta admit, there's a chance it could work, boss," Tony retorted with a faint smile. "I am very charming."

"Matter of opinion, DiNozzo," Gibbs said with a chuckle. He was glad to see that Tony appeared to be a little bit more at ease. "But seriously, I would like to see you give Jim another chance before you write him off completely. A real chance, not just lip service. Can you do that for me?"

Tony hesitated for a few moments before nodding his head slowly. It was Gibbs' 'for me' that really got to him. Hell, the man had been by his side for he didn't even know how long now. This was the least that he could do for him. "Yeah, boss. I can do that for you..."

xxxxx

Tony played with the watery egg on his plate, breaking it up with his fork and making little patterns with the egg pieces, Giving up on the egg, he tried the toast, but it was cold and overdone. After one mouthful, he put it aside and drank some orange juice which was one thing they couldn't ruin. He looked at Gibbs who was eating his own breakfast without a problem. "You actually like this stuff, boss?" he asked in disbelief.

Gibbs shrugged. "Its not the best, but I've had far worse than this too. Hell, one of my ex-wives couldn't boil water. She used to come up with some of the weirdest recipes, I'd ever tasted...turnip tacos...beet and chicken liver stew," Gibbs made a face at the recollection. "Not much could be worse than what she used to cook."

"God, boss...how'd you survive that?" Tony looked at the egg with a new appreciation and began to eat it, deciding that maybe it wasn't so bad after all. "I would definitely want to marry someone who could cook."

Gibbs chuckled. DiNozzo could be so easy to manipulate sometimes. "She had other talents...definitely more important than cooking..That and I ate out, A LOT."

Tony grinned back at Gibbs and continued to eat. He was starting to feel better about things and was definitely excited about leaving the hospital. He felt like he had been a patient forever.

"I'm going to take a shower," Tony stated after he had finished the rest of his breakfast. He hadn't had one in ages and the daily sponge baths really didn't cut it.

"Maybe you should ask someone if its okay?" Gibbs asked, looking at Tony doubtfully.

"Come on, boss. I'm going home today. I'm sure I can take a shower," Tony replied as he got out of bed. He gathered up his clothes and razor which Gibbs had brought him previously. "Don't worry. I'll take it slow."

"Do you need any help?" Gibbs asked.

Tony shook his head with a smile. "Nope, I've definitely got it." Gibbs had helped him out with a lot of things lately, but helping him take a shower was where Tony drew the line.

"Okay. Be careful. Call me if you need me."

"Thanks, boss. I'm pretty sure I won't."

Gibbs waited a little bit apprehensively as Tony went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He managed to refrain from calling out to ask if his agent was doing okay. A short while later, Tony emerged from the bathroom, freshly scrubbed, clean shaven and wearing jeans and a sweatshirt.

"You clean up nicely, DiNozzo," Gibbs commented, giving the younger man an approving look. It had been a long time since he'd seen Tony looking so well. He wasn't exactly the picture of health, but he certainly looked a helluva lot better than he had in quite a while.

"Yeah, what a difference a shower and a shave make. I feel much better. Now I just want to get out of this place." Tony was antsy and more than ready to go. "What time do you think I'll get sprung?"

"You sound like you're getting out of prison," Gibbs laughed. "It's only 8:30, Tony. I'm guessing its going to be a good couple of hours, at least, before you're released."

"I don't suppose you'd consider a jail break?" Tony asked hopefully.

Gibbs shook his head. "Sorry, but that won't fly too well with your plan to get back to work. You're going to have to prove to Vance you're fine before he's going to let you back on duty.

"Vance...yeah, he'd love to see me gone permanently," Tony said as he sat down on the bed, bouncing up and down slightly. "Guess you're right, I'm going to have to stick to the rules."

"Why don't you watch a movie or something?" Gibbs suggested as he watched Tony fidget. It was going to be a long couple of hours at this rate.

"No...can't concentrate," Tony replied. "Wonder what time Jimbo is going to show up..."

"Don't let him stress you out, DiNozzo. Just be yourself and answer his questions. It'll work out fine."

"That's easy for you to say, boss...you're not the one getting your head shrunk."

Gibbs didn't reply. That was true and honestly he wouldn't particularly want to be standing in Tony's shoes at the moment. "I'll stay here with you, when he comes, if it'll make you feel better. Or would you be more comfortable if I didn't?" he asked after a long silence.

Tony considered the question thoughtfully. "I'd like you to stay...if you really don't mind, that is." He no longer had any secrets from Gibbs. The older man pretty much knew it all at this point.

"I don't mind," Gibbs replied truthfully. "Whatever you need."

"Thanks, boss," Tony said with a smile, realizing just how lucky he was to have Gibbs in his corner.

xxxxx

At a little after 10, Jim entered the room. Tony cast an apprehensive look at him and then looked at Gibbs who gave him an encouraging nod. "Good morning, gentlemen," Jim said with a bright smile. "How are you doing this morning?"

"Fine," Gibbs answered and Tony echoed his answer.

"So Tony, are you happy to be leaving here today?" Jim asked as he took a seat.

"Yeah...feels like I've been here ages."

"I can imagine...It can't have been easy for you."

"No...it hasn't been, but I imagine things will be a lot better once I'm out of here."

Jim nodded. "So, are you going to be joining us, Jethro?

Tony answered quickly, before Gibbs even had a chance to respond. "Yes, I asked him to stay. That's okay, isn't it?"

"Of course, Tony," Jim replied. "Whatever you're comfortable with."

"Good, I want him here."

"So, I spoke with Adam this morning," Jim began. "You made it clear how much you want to return to work and I was curious what his time table for you was on a physical basis."

"And?" Tony's eyes widened considerably as he anxiously waited for Jim's answer, unconsciously holding his breath.

"And he said about a month if all goes well with your recovery. You would start out with two weeks of desk duty before a reevaluation for full duty."

Tony looked discouraged at the answer. "A month is a long time..."

"Come on, Tony," Gibbs interjected. "After everything you've gone through, I don't think that's at all unfair." He didn't want Tony rushing back to work before he was ready. He remembered all too clearly how he had come back to work too soon after his bout with the plague. He easily could have been killed along with Kate. Gibbs wanted Tony strong and healthy before he reported back to work this time.

"That's only what Adam said," Tony replied. "We still don't know what Jim here is thinking."

Jim chuckled. "I'm not the villain you're making me out to be, Tony. At least I hope I'm not. I tend to be in agreement with what Adam thinks. You'll have to meet with me three times a week to begin with and if I believe you're progressing satisfactorily, I'll go along with that."

"Three times a week? That's an awful lot, isn't it? How about twice a week?" Even once a week was too much, as far as he was concerned.

"This isn't a negotiation, Tony," Jim stated, his eyes serious. "You've gone through a number of traumatic events, any one of which would be hard to get through on its own. I understand that you're a tough guy and you don't think you need my help, but I really think it will be to your benefit to work through some of these issues."

Tony sighed as he realized there really wasn't any way he was going to be able to squirm out of this. "Okay...three times a week it is."

"Good. Lets get started."

xxxxx

The session went a lot better than Gibbs and Tony had anticipated. Tony had opened up about some things and Jim had steered clear of bringing up Tony's father, having decided to ease into that eventually.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Gibbs asked after Jim left the room.

"No, but three times a week? Man that's going to be torture," Tony said, shaking his head.

"It won't be that bad."

"You want to trade places?" Tony grumbled. He privately thought Gibbs could use some therapy as well. After all, he'd been through a lot of the same stuff. He didn't dare say it out loud though.

"I just want you to get better, Tony," Gibbs said quietly. "If you don't fight the doctors, it will make it a whole lot easier."

"I won't fight them, but I'm not going to act all happy about it either." He still thought a month seemed like an eternity, but it was totally out of his hands and if he didn't cooperate, it could be even longer.

"Good morning, Jethro, Tony," Adam greeted the two men with a smile as he walked into the room. "Well, actually, I guess its almost afternoon now. Sorry about the delay. I had an emergency earlier."

"No problem, Doc," Tony responded. "So, what's the word? When can I get out of here?"

"Is now soon enough for you?" Adam asked with a grin. "I've got your discharge papers right here."

"Seriously?" Tony asked, looking positively thrilled. "Now sounds pretty good to me."

"I'd like you to follow up with me in a week. You can call my office to make an appointment. The number is on the front here with the discharge instructions," Adam explained as he handed Tony a packet of papers.

"Thanks for everything. I really appreciate it," Tony said as the two men shook hands.

"I can't thank you enough, Adam," Gibbs said as he shook Adam's hand firmly. "You should give me a call sometime. We can have lunch and I'll give you a tour of my stomping grounds."

"That sounds great. I'm just glad things finally seem to be looking up," Adam replied. "You take care of yourself, Tony, and don't try to do too much too soon."

"I won't."

"Alright I'll let you two get out of here. Wheelchair is right out in the hallway."

Tony opened his mouth to protest, but one look at Gibbs' and Adam's faces told him it would be in vain and he decided not to waste his breath. "Thanks again."

A few minutes later, Tony was settled into the wheelchair, with his belongings, and Gibbs began pushing him down the corridor.

Finally, they were on their way home.


	44. Chapter 44

**AN: Thanks, as always, for all your great comments and support :) (And Thanks to Poppy who I couldn't than personally) This is the second to last chapter. I'm hoping to have the final part up by the middle of the week or so. Can't believe its FINALLY coming to an end lol !**

xxxxx

Gibbs gave Tony a sidelong glance as he drove. Tony was looking out the window at the passing scenery. "Can't believe I'm finally out of there," Tony said with a grin. "I thought it was never going to happen."

"Now, you just need to make sure you stay out of the hospital for a good long time."

"Trust me, boss. I have no intention of ending up back in there ever, if I can help it," Tony assured Gibbs.

"Good." Gibbs pulled his car into the driveway. He could see Abby's car parked out in the street. He had asked her to come by and prepare the room he had for Tony. He hadn't been home much so hadn't really had a chance to do anything. He was pretty sure the rest of the team was going to be there as well, since it was Saturday. He just hoped Tony wouldn't be overwhelmed. They got out of the car and headed towards the front door. Gibbs opened the door and let Tony go in ahead of him.

"Surprise!" Abby screeched and ran towards Tony who braced himself for the impact. However, Abby slowed down at the last second and her hug was surprisingly gentle. "Welcome home," she said with a smile.

It technically wasn't his home, but he wasn't about to quibble over small details. "Thanks, Abby. Its great to be out of the hospital." He turned his attention toward Ducky, Ziva, McGee and Jimmy Palmer, all of who were there to greet him as well. "Hey guys."

Warm greetings were exchanged and then Abby led Tony to the couch. "You need to rest, Mister," she ordered and Tony obediently sat down.

"Don't worry, Abs. I have every intention of doing just that."

"How are you feeling, Tony?" Tim asked.

"Pretty good, Probie, pretty good."

"Do you know when you will be able to return to work?" Ziva questioned.

"Not for about a month," Tony replied. "They're being a little on the overprotective side."

"Your body needs a chance to recover, my boy," Ducky stated gently. "There's no need to rush."

"Yeah, I know. Don't really have much of a choice anyhow so I'll just have to make the best of it," Tony said with a faint sigh.

Gibbs pulled Abby aside gently. "Thanks for doing this," he whispered. "Not too long, though, okay?"

Abby nodded understandingly. "Don't worry, Gibbs. We won't overstay our welcome."

"So Tony, are you hungry?" Ziva asked. "We could order in some food."

Tony shrugged. "Its up to you guys. Whatever you want to do is fine with me."

After a short discussion, Chinese food was decided upon. Abby called the order in from Great Chow, a local place recommended by Gibbs, then Tim and Jimmy left to go pick it up.

"Is there anything we can get for you, Tony?" Abby asked. She was curled up on the couch on his left side, while Ziva was seated on his right.

Tony shook his head. "No thanks, I think I'm good, Abs."

"So, Jethro, how is Anthony doing, really?" Ducky asked as he and Gibbs stood in a corner of the room, observing Tony.

"I think he's doing pretty well, considering. He is overeager to return to work, but I'm glad the doctors are holding him back a bit. I don't want him getting into any more trouble."

"I agree. He's had more than his fair share. However, you must admit, you'd be chomping at the bit as well if you were in his place."

"Yeah, you're right, Duck, but he's going to have to obey the doctors' orders. Of course, I don't want him getting overly spoiled either," Gibbs smirked as Abby placed a pillow behind Tony's head while Ziva covered him with a blanket then tucked it carefully around him.

"A little bit of TLC won't hurt the boy, Jethro," Ducky smiled.

"That's true... I don't think he's had a lot of that in his life," Gibbs admitted, his eyes turning serious.

At that moment, Tim and Jimmy returned with the food. After a lighthearted meal, the team departed with promises to visit often during Tony's recovery.

"You should get some rest, DiNozzo," Gibbs stated. Tony had been unsuccessfully trying to stifle yawns and his eyes were heavy-lidded. "You want to head upstairs to your room or just stay here for now?"

"Think I'll just stay here if that's okay." Tony was warm and comfortable and the whole process of going upstairs required an effort he didn't particularly feel like making at the moment.

Gibbs nodded. "I'll be right downstairs. If you need anything, just holler."

"Thanks, boss." Tony's eyes closed and he very quickly fell into a sound sleep.

xxxxx

"So...how are things working out at Agent Gibbs' house?"

It was Tony's first session with Jim since leaving the hospital. He was actually alone as Gibbs had taken a quick trip into headquarters after dropping Tony off at the doctor's office. There was a large fish tank against the wall and Tony found himself watching the multicolored fish as they darted around the tank. "Things are going well...really well."

"What have you been doing?"

"Not all that much really," Tony replied with a small smile. "Resting a lot, watching movies. I took a walk yesterday afternoon. That was nice." It had been a beautiful day, warm and sunny. It had felt really good to be out enjoying the fresh air and sunshine.

"And the nightmares?" Gibbs had mentioned those during his last session. Tony hadn't been thrilled about it, but he hadn't denied that he had been having them either. He just likely wouldn't have brought them up on his own,

"I haven't had any, at least not that I'm aware of," Tony answered truthfully.

"It sounds like being out of the hospital agrees with you," Jim commented.

"I can't argue with that." He thought about pressing for an earlier return to work, but it was probably too soon. He needed to give it a little bit more time. Maybe he would wait and talk to Adam about it at his upcoming appointment on Friday.

The hour passed quickly and Tony was grateful that Jim wasn't yet pressing him to talk about his father. He knew he wouldn't be able to avoid it forever, but the longer he could put it off, the better he liked it.

xxxxx

Tony crept down the basement stairs and wordlessly sat on a step near the bottom. He was beginning to get bored with just hanging around Gibbs' house. As much as he loved watching movies, there were only so many a person could watch. Gibbs heard his agent but didn't acknowledge Tony's presence at first. Finally, he spoke. "Are you going to just sit there, DiNozzo or are you going to help?"

Tony started slightly. "Didn't realize you knew I was here, boss." Gibbs stopped working and gave Tony a long look. "But, yeah I should have realized it..."

"So?"

Tony gave Gibbs a blank look. "So?" he echoed.

"I asked you a question. Are you going to help me or are you just going to sit there?"

"Help you?" Tony asked, looking a little bit bewildered. He'd been down in Gibbs' basement plenty of times in the past. Gibbs had never before requested his help. "Uh...I don't know anything about building boats, boss..."

"Did I ask you if you knew anything about it?"

"No..." Tony looked uncertain and a little bit nervous. He still hadn't budged from the step he was sitting on.

"Get down here, DiNozzo," Gibbs ordered.

Tony stood up and made his way down the last couple of steps then walked over to Gibbs, tentatively. "Relax, Tony. You're not going to hurt anything."

"You sure about that, boss?"

"I'm sure," Gibbs nodded reassuringly as he began to show Tony what to do. He was a patient teacher and Tony learned quickly. Before too long, the two men were working together in an easy rhythm. Finally, after almost two hours, Gibbs could see that Tony was beginning to tire. "I'm getting kind of hungry...how about some dinner?"

"I could definitely eat." Tony put down his tools and took a step back to admire the boat. He had never worked with his hands like this before and he liked the feeling it gave him. When growing up, he'd had friends who worked with their dads on all kinds of things, from model airplanes to rebuilding old cars. He'd always felt twinges of jealousy, knowing he was missing out, but that there was nothing he could do about it. His father would have never done stuff like that, especially not with him. It was just the way it was.

"You did well today." Gibbs couldn't miss the glimmer of pride in Tony's eyes and he was proud of him as well. "Come on, lets get something into our stomachs." He patted Tony's back and the two men headed back upstairs.

xxxxx

"Deep breath, Tony." Adam pressed the stethoscope over Tony's chest and listened carefully to his breath sounds. "Good. Your lungs sound clear. Any chest pain or coughing?"

Tony shook his head, "No. I feel fine."

"Good, good." Adam finished his exam of Tony's lungs and moved on to look at the bullet wounds which he found to be healing well. "So, are you still staying with Jethro?"

"Yeah, I'll be going home on Sunday. Gibbs is going back to work on Monday." He had mixed feelings about returning to his apartment. Although he was eager to return home, he'd found that he had settled into an easy routine at Gibb's house. Surprisingly, he also was getting a great deal of enjoyment out of working on Gibbs' boat. He would definitely miss doing that.

"Speaking of Gibbs going back to work..." Tony continued. Adam smiled, knowing what was coming. "I don't suppose you'd reconsider letting me return to work any sooner?"

"How are your sessions with Jim going?" Adam asked as he made a few notations in Tony's chart.

"They're fine." Frankly, he found the whole three times a week thing to be tedious at best, but he had so far managed to avoid complaining about it. He couldn't argue against the fact that he'd basically been in a catatonic state for a week and there was a part of him that was still a little bit unnerved over the fact that it had happened to him.

Physically, Adam had no problem cutting a week off of Tony's return to work time, but mentally he just wasn't sure it was a good idea. "I don't know, Tony...We're only talking another three weeks. I know it might seem like forever to you right now, but it really isn't all that long. I'd rather just leave things as they are."

"Well, it was at least worth a shot," Tony said with a smile. He hadn't really expected Adam to change his mind, but he had needed to try.

"It'll go by before you know it," Adam reassured Tony.

Tony doubted it would go by very quickly at all, but he supposed he just needed to make the best of it at this point. What else could he do?

_xxxxx_

"You want to come in, boss?" Tony asked. The two men were sitting in Gibbs' car which was parked in front of Tony's apartment building.

"Sure, I can come in for a bit," Gibbs replied. They gathered Tony's belongings then got out of the car and headed inside, arriving at Tony's apartment a few minutes later.

"I can barely even remember what this place looks like." Tony grinned as he put his key into the lock. He swung the door open and they entered the apartment. Tony put his overnight bag down on the sofa as Gibbs deposited the box full of DVDs he was carrying onto the floor.

"You want a drink?" Tony called as he made his way into the kitchen. "I'd offer you something to eat, but I don't think there's much left that's edible around here." He made a face as he opened the refrigerator door, not particularly relishing the thought of dealing with whatever science projects were now growing in there. He was surprised at what he found though. The inside of the refrigerator was spotless and filled with new packages of cold cuts, drinks and fresh fruits and vegetables. There were some delicious-looking desserts as well and when Tony opened the freezer he found it to be well stocked with homemade meals, all neatly stacked and labeled. "Wow..." Tony was a bit awestruck by what he had discovered.

"See something you like, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked as he came up behind his senior field agent, his eyes sparkling.

"Yeah...I...who did all this?" Tony questioned as he turned around to look at Gibbs.

"A lot of people chipped in. Abby and Ziva organized things. McGee and Ducky got you some groceries. And it seems you have an awful lot of fans of the female variety around headquarters. They were more than willing to cook for you."

"I...I can't believe they did all this. How will I even know who to thank?"

"Abby has a list of who did what. We didn't want you wasting away to nothing while you're recovering."

"No chance of that happening now. You want something to eat?" he asked as he poured two drinks and handed one of the glasses to Gibbs.

Gibbs shook his head. "No thanks. I've got some paperwork that I need to catch up on and some bills to pay before tomorrow." He couldn't miss the bereft expression that crossed Tony's face. "Come on, DiNozzo. It's really not that long..."

"That's what everyone keeps telling me," Tony said as they walked back into the living room. "But, its really not true..."

"This past week went by quickly, didn't it?"

Tony nodded. "Yeah it did, but..." he trailed off with a sigh. "You're right...it'll be fine..."

"But what?" Gibbs questioned, sensing there was something more going on than just Tony wanting to return to work..

"This week was just different, boss," Tony replied with a shrug "We were working on the boat and stuff...its just going to be me now, you know?" He felt kind of like a whiny little kid, but Jim had been encouraging him to be more open with his feelings instead of hiding behind quips and jokes. It definitely wasn't easy for him and he fell into his old habits quite often, but he was trying.

"Well, the boat will still be there, Tony and my door is always open. There's plenty of work that needs to be done." Gibbs hadn't really been sure if Tony would even like working on the boat when he had first brought it up and was very pleased at how the younger man had taken to it. It had been a very welcome surprise.

Tony seemed to brighten for a moment, but then his expression became downcast. "But...I might not know what to do on my own...I wouldn't want to ruin anything..."

"You have natural instincts, Tony and you've been doing good work," Gibbs praised. "I can leave you notes on what to do next. Even if you make a mistake, there's nothing you can hurt that we can't fix."

"I'll think about it..." Tony said, but just the thought of it made him feel a little better. He supposed he could go away somewhere for a few days. He knew Jim would let up on his sessions if Tony wanted to get a little R&R at some vacation spot, but he didn't really know where to go and the timing for a trip just didn't seem right.

"Well, give it some serious thought...I think its a good idea and on the days I don't get home too late, I'll likely join you." He didn't want Tony to sit around in his apartment day after day. That could lead to depression and Gibbs wanted to avoid that.

The idea was sounding better to Tony and he decided to take Gibbs up on it. Maybe this forced medical leave from work wouldn't be as intolerable as he had first thought after all.


	45. Chapter 45

**AN: Well, here it is, the final chapter. This was the first story I ever started in this fandom and I've been so overwhelmed by the wonderful support you all have given me and appreciate it more than I can say :)**

xxxxx

Tony pulled his car into a parking space, then got out and started walking towards the office building where Jim's office was. He had gone to see Adam that morning and had gotten the green light to return to light duty. Jim was the final straw. Hopefully, after today, he would be heading back to work and would only have to see Jim once a week. He sat alone in the waiting room and hadn't been there for very long when Jim opened the door to his office and beckoned him inside. "Hi, Tony. Come on in."

Tony voiced a greeting as he entered Jim's office and settled himself in the now familiar stuffed green chair.

"So, how are you doing today?" Jim asked as he took a seat behind his mahogany desk.

"I'm doing well. Adam said I'm good to return to work on Monday," Tony stated with smile, but there was a look of trepidation in his eyes which Jim did not miss.

"Relax, Tony," Jim said soothingly.

"I am relaxed." Tony shifted in the chair, obviously worried and ill at ease.

"You're not," Jim contradicted benignly. "But you should be. I'm in complete agreement with Adam. In fact, I've already signed you back to work, as well. I have the paperwork right here." He lightly tapped some papers which were lying on his desk.

Tony smiled at Jim, both surprise and relief evident on his face. "That's good news."

"I thought you'd like it," Jim said, returning the smile. "I didn't want you to think that today

was in any form a condition on your returning to work. I don't believe in emotional blackmail."

"You want to talk about my father," Tony stated. He wasn't at all surprised. In fact, he had been mentally preparing himself for it, knowing in his heart that Jim was going to bring it up today.

"Only if you do."

"And if I don't?" Tony asked. "Those papers on your desk aren't going to disappear into thin air?"

"I'm not going to force you into anything, Tony." Jim pushed the papers towards the younger man. "Here, Take them. They're not conditional."

Tony reached for the papers and pulled them into his lap.

"You can read through them, if you'd like."

Tony shook his head with a faint smile. "That's not necessary." Even though he wasn't always in agreement with Jim, he had grown to trust him more over the past few weeks. "So...where do you want me to start?" he asked after a few moments of silence.

"Entirely up to you," Jim replied easily. He knew this ground wasn't going to be covered in one session, but just the fact that Tony was at least willing to talk about his father was a major step.

"I don't really know," Tony replied, looking a little bit lost.

"Well, how would you classify your relationship?" Jim asked.

"Considering he tried to kill me, how would you classify it?" Tony scoffed, throwing the question back at Jim.

Jim said nothing, deciding just to wait Tony out. He didn't have to wait very long. "Its not like we ever had some "Father Knows Best" kind of relationship," Tony began softly. "He was always wrapped up in business and stuff...didn't have much time for me..."

"That couldn't have been easy..."

"No. No, it wasn't easy. I saw the way other families were. I mean, I knew nobody's life was perfect, but I also knew mine wasn't the norm. I knew he didn't want me around."

"How did you know that?"

"The fact that he shipped me off to boarding school gave me a clue," Tony said bitterly as his mind went back in time. "He didn't even prepare me for it. One Sunday afternoon, I came in from playing outside and my bags were packed and sitting at the front door. We left the next day. I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to my friends. Who does that to a kid?"

"That must have been terrible for you."

Tony nodded thoughtfully. "It was...but only in the beginning. Once I got used to it, I realized what a huge favor he had done for me. I liked boarding school...I had a lot of friends, more freedom than I had at home... I felt safe there..." The last words were said very softly and Tony uttered them without really thinking.

"Safe?" Jim prodded gently.

"Yeah, safe." Tony sighed softly. "I know its no surprise to you that my father whacked me around."

"No, its not a surprise," Jim admitted.

"So, nobody bothered me at school. I was good at sports and a bit of a jokester, which made me popular.. I might have annoyed some of the teachers, but for the most part, I did alright. It was just easier there..."

"What about when you went home?"

Tony shrugged. "I tried to stay out of his way... Then, when I was older, I avoided going home unless it was absolutely necessary."

"And now?"

"And now, what?" Tony asked, a little bit crossly.

"How often do you see him now?"

"He's in jail for trying to kill me...I'm not going to be seeing him at all."

"What about before this all happened? How often did you and your father see each other?"

"Not very often. Occasional phone calls, that was about it." Tony found himself staring at the clock on the wall, mentally willing the time to move faster.

"But its good he's in jail now, right?"

Tony was silent as he turned his attention away from the clock and started to watch the fish, swimming around in the aquarium.

"Come on, Tony...its good he's in jail now, isn't it?"

"Yeah...yeah its good," Tony answered quietly.

"Why don't I believe you?" Jim asked.

"I don't know. Why don't you?" Tony retorted testily.

"I think you feel guilty..."

"You're a mind reader now?"

"So you don't feel guilty?"

"Don't you think he belongs in jail?" Tony shot back, avoiding the question.

"That's not what I'm asking."

Tony could feel his heart beginning to race and he tightened his grip on the papers Jim had given him. He knew the other man could easily go back on what he had said. New papers could be made out, papers that declared him unfit for duty. He needed to keep it together. He thought back to the day he had confronted Senior, remembering all the horrible things the man had said to him and how it had made him feel. He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that his father belonged in prison. He knew it in his head, but it was his heart that was giving him trouble. There was a part of him that still felt guilty, in spite of all the things his father had done to him. "I don't feel guilty," he whispered, not looking Jim in the eye_._

"Look at me when you say that and maybe I'll believe you."

"Fine! I feel guilty," Tony snapped. "Are you happy now? You were right." He slammed the papers down on the desk. "Here you go. You can take your papers back. I knew it was what you wanted all along. You never had any intentions of letting me go back to work. It was all just a trick. Though I'll have you know that I'm more together than a lot of agents are. Not everyone is as perfect as you are, Doc. People do have problems. It doesn't make them incapable of functioning in the world. Even with my 'stressful' job as you like to call it. I can still do it and do it damn well. I wouldn't let my personal stuff interfere with my job. I'm too good an agent for that!" Tony took a shuddering breath as he ended his rant and glared back at Jim.

"Are you finished?" Jim gave Tony an amused look.

"I'm really glad you find my situation to be so funny," Tony retorted, his eyes blazing.

"I don't," Jim replied, shaking his head. "I just didn't expect that out of you. You caught me by surprise."

"That's a shocker. I didn't think anything could take you by surprise. I thought you knew everything."

"Is that what you think, Tony? That I'm just some know-it-all who's playing with you for my own amusement?" Jim asked seriously. "Because if that's really how you feel, you need to think about finding another therapist. If we don't have a certain amount of trust, this isn't going to work and we're both just wasting our time."

"I don't think that. Its just you have no idea how important it is for me to go back to work, If it wasn't for working on Gibbs' boat these past few weeks, I would have gone out of my friggen mind..."

"You don't think I know that?"

Tony shrugged.

"You're jumping to conclusions here. Did I say I wasn't going to let you go back to work?"

Tony thought back over the conversation and realized that Jim hadn't actually said those words.

"No, but..."

Jim held up his hand. "My turn to talk now. I understand that you've been having a hard time with all that's happened and with the whole therapy thing. Honestly, I believe you've been working hard and haven't complained too much, which surprised me a little, based on our first meeting. But, you seem to have it in your head that I'm working against you and that couldn't be further from the truth. Adam and I have discussed your case often and were in complete agreement about the decisions that were made. I'm trying to do what's best for you, not punish you. As for your earlier tirade, I had no intention of going back on my decision to let you return to work. Having feelings of guilt is to be expected and its perfectly normal. It certainly isn't anything that was going to make me change my mind."

Tony sighed heavily. He had gotten himself all worked up over nothing. "So now what?" he asked uncertainly, not feeling at all good about what had transpired.

"That's up to you. If you have a problem with me or think I'm somehow going to sabotage you, like I said before, this just isn't going to work. You need to decide what you want to do."

"I...I'd like to keep working with you," Tony said after a few moments of silence. "I'm sorry about what I said before."

"I don't need an apology," Jim said quietly. "All I need is an honest commitment from you. Are you sure you can do that, Tony?"

Tony nodded. "I'll try...I can't say I won't mess up again, but Iam willing to give it one hundred percent."

Jim nodded and a smile crossed his lips. "That's all I can ask."

xxxxx

Tony walked through NCIS headquarters and was greeted by many smiles and well wishes as he made his way to the bullpen. It was his first day back at work and he could hardly contain his excitement. When he arrived at his desk, he found a stack of file folders with a note from Gibbs instructing him to study up and familiarize himself with the cases. The team was out in the field. He was momentarily disappointed, but quickly got over it. He'd be out in the field very soon, himself. He just needed to be patient for a little while longer. He went over the cases for an hour or so and then decided it was time for a break. Picking up a bag by his desk, Tony headed downstairs to visit Abby.

"Tony!" he had no sooner entered Abby's lab when the goth flew over to him and enveloped him in a hug. "Its so good to see you!"

"Its good to see you too, Abs." He hugged her back tightly, a bright smile on his face.

"Are you feeling okay?" Abby asked as she pulled away and studied him closely. "You look really well rested."

"Yeah, I'm feeling really good. I'm so glad to be back." He held the plastic bag he was carrying out to her. "I figured it was about time I returned this to you. Thank you so much. Bert was more helpful than I ever could have imagined."

"Oh. You don't have to return him." Abby said, making no move to take the bag from Tony.

"Of course I do. I know how much you love him."

"I have a little confession to make," Abby said. "That actually isn't Bert...its Ernie."

"Ernie?" Tony chuckled and gave Abby a knowing look. "Ernie and Bert...so, they're like..."

"Brothers!" Abby looked at Tony in mock horror and lightly punched his arm. "Get your mind out of the gutter. Besides, all those rumors are unsubstantiated. The characters you're referring to are just best friends."

"Are you sure about that, Abby. Are you really sure?" he asked mischievously.

"Yes, I'm sure. Now I have work to do and so do you. So, get out of here."

"Okay, I'll get out of your hair." Tony laughed as he started walking towards the elevator.

"Tony?" She called after him and he turned around, still smiling.

"Yeah?"

"Lunch later? Maybe we can get the whole team together?"

"Sounds good. We'll catch up later."

Tony left Abby's lab and then decided to pay Ducky a visit. He made his way to Autopsy where he found the older man working on a victim. "Hey Ducky."

"Anthony, my dear boy. How are you? It is very good indeed to see you back at work. You're looking quite well," Ducky said with an approving smile. The boy looked worlds better than he had when he had returned to work after suffering the plague. Though the prolonged absence might have been hard on Tony, it had obviously done him a world of good.

"Thanks, Ducky. I'm glad to be back. Who's your friend?" He glanced down at the corpse on Ducky's autopsy table.

"This is Petty Officer Frederick Pendleton. This very unfortunate young man was killed by an ice pick to the heart."

"Ouch," Tony grimaced and gave the man a look of sympathy. "Gibbs left me some files to catch up on. I was reading up on this one earlier."

Ducky nodded. "Yes, so far, there's not very much to go on. How and why this happened remain very much a mystery.

"Poor guy...Well, I can see you're busy. I'll let you get back to what you were doing. I just wanted to say hello."

"I'm very glad you did. Welcome back, Anthony. You've been sorely missed."

With a brief wave, Tony headed out of Autopsy and went back to the bullpen. The team was still out so he settled back down with the case files. He was so engrossed, that he never even noticed when Gibbs, McGee and Ziva returned and gathered near his desk, staring at him, until Tim spoke. "Wow, boss. I don't think I've ever seen Tony working so hard."

The three smiled and Ziva walked over to him and gave him a brief hug. "Welcome back, Tony," she said. "It is very good to see you."

"Thanks Ziva. Its nice to see you too." He smiled as he returned her embrace.

"You doing okay, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, looking very happy to see his senior field agent back in the fold.

"I'm doing fine, boss," Tony replied with a grin.

"Its good to have you back, Tony," Tim said as he went over to his desk.

"Good to be back, Probie. So, where have you guys been? Anyone want to fill me in?" Tony asked.

"Did you happen to read the file on the ice pick victim?" Gibbs asked.

"I read it," Tony said with a nod. "Ducky is working on the victim."

"Well, now there's another victim, Seaman William Blakely. Same M.O. Definite pattern developing." Gibbs gave Tony the details and the case was discussed at length. The rest of the day went well and Tony was more than satisfied when the workday came to an end. He was finally starting to feel like his life was coming back under his control.

xxxxx

"So how does it feel to be back on active duty?" Gibbs smiled at the younger man who was obviously relishing the steak on his plate. It was the Friday night of Tony's first complete week back on full duty. He had done very well and Gibbs had observed no ill effects at all from what Tony had gone through.

"It feels good, boss, but nothing can compare to this steak." Tony replied after he had swallowed mouthful of food he was chewing on. "You've definitely outdone yourself."

"Glad you're enjoying it...it was a long time coming..."

"Tell me about it," Tony said. "I thought this dinner was never going to happen."

The two men had agreed to postpone their interrupted dinner until Tony had returned to his full duty status at NCIS. In Tony's opinion, it was well worth the wait. Gibbs had gone all out with salad, steak, baked potatoes, corn on the cob and there was a delectable-looking chocolate cake in the refrigerator that Tony could hardly wait to sink his teeth into.

"So...," Gibbs began. "How have things been going with Jim?" He didn't bring it up very often, knowing that Tony wasn't particularly comfortable with discussing it, but he he couldn't help being curious and wondered if his agent was going to keep on with the therapy.

"Pretty good," Tony said. "I'm only going once a week now, so I guess I can deal with it. He's actually a pretty okay guy, though we don't always see eye-to-eye on everything."

Gibbs nodded. "Its good you're going to keep on with it."

Tony shrugged. "I guess so. I figure it might help me deal with some stuff and when Senior's trial comes up, it definitely won't hurt."

"That's true," Gibbs nodded. He hoped when that happened that the stress on Tony would be minimal. He had hoped that Senior might have just pleaded guilty and spared everyone the trial, but it seemed the pompous jackass was going to fight the charges with everything he had.

"Don't worry about it boss. It's going to be okay," Tony said assuredly, almost as if he was reading Gibbs' mind. He liberally spread some sour cream on his baked potato and took a bite, then gazed at Gibbs thoughtfully to the point that the older man finally started to become a little bit uncomfortable.

"What are you staring at, DiNozzo?" Gibbs finally snapped.

"Huh?" Startled, Tony broke out of his reverie. "Sorry, I didn't mean to stare, boss...I was just thinking."

"About?"

"About how good you've been to me...the way you stayed by my side during all of this, even when I might have been...well... shall we say, a little bit difficult."

"A little bit difficult?" Gibbs teased as he chuckled.

"Well...maybe a lot difficult," Tony admitted with a grin. "Anyhow...I just wanted to say thank you. You really came through for me. I...I can't imagine having a more loyal or caring father..." He ducked his head down at the last part, unsure of what Gibbs' reaction would be.

"You're welcome," Gibbs said then reached out and gently grasped Tony's shoulder. "Hey."

Tony looked up at Gibbs questioningly. "Yeah, boss?"

"I've made it very clear how I feel about you. That hasn't changed. You are my son in every way that matters, Tony. I'm proud of you and..." Gibbs hesitated, but then decided to finish what he needed to say. "I love you very much."

Tony stared back at Gibbs, his eyes a little watery with emotion, a bright smile on his face. He finally had a family, a real family, the kind he had yearned for as a boy, with a real honest-to-goodness father who he knew loved him and would do just about anything for him. "I love you too..." What should he call him in this situation? Boss? Gibbs? Jethro? "Dad." The word was whispered, but he knew Gibbs heard him and from his expression, he knew it had been the right thing to say.

"You better get back to eating that dinner before it gets cold," Gibbs said gruffly. "We have a lot of work to do on the boat tomorrow. You're definitely going to need your strength."

"Whatever you say, boss," Tony replied, grinning happily as he cut off a piece of steak and put it into his mouth. The moment was over, but the sentiments expressed were clear and Tony felt better and more positive than he had in a very, very long time.

He had a feeling everything was going to work out just fine.

xxxxx

Epilogue

Anthony DiNozzo Senior sat in his cell, staring at the wall. As was the case most days, his thoughts were dark and dangerous. This was not the kind of thing that was supposed to happen to a man like him. His lawyer said it was not likely he would escape a prison sentence.

Prison...he couldn't believe it was true...All because of Gibbs and that so-called son of his. One thing was certain. They would not get away with it. He didn't care how long it took. Someday, somehow, he would get back at them. He would get his revenge.

Gibbs and Anthony would both pay dearly for what they had done to him. They were going to be very, very sorry...

**AN2: Thanks so much to those of you who made it through this whole story. Your encouraging comments meant so much to me and kept the story going even when it got more difficult. If there is interest, I do have an idea for a sequel in mind, but not right away. I need to take a break from this storyline and work on some different stories. You guys probably need a break as well lol. For now, best to think of Gibbs and Tony happily back at work and Senior just thinking harmless thoughts that might not come to anything at all. **

**Thanks again :)**


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